I didn't dare leave my house. Hell, even inside, I barely dared to breathe, let alone move around. Every step I took, each miniscule sound I made was followed by agonizing silence, where I waited to be greeted with roars.

These infected were different. They were smart, and I could clearly see they communicated amongst one another. So far it had only been the young couple and the lone male that had roamed around my base.

Sighing deeply, I lifted my hands, trying to stop them from shaking ever so slightly. "Pull yourself together man. You've prepared for this. You'll be fine, they'll get bored and soon enough it's going to be common routine once more."

A shaky breath escaped me as I tilted my head back, listening to the silence that overwhelmed my senses. Blinking against the harsh lights, I looked back at the screen to see nothing. They've been roaming around my house for the past week, sniffing around, nudging at objects and poking at the walls. Yet, they weren't aggressive in their behavior.

Well, at least not to one another. A Feral had ran by and caught sight of the female, but before it could even lay a finger on her, its partner had leaped for the Feral and tore it apart. The brutal display of aggression and the way it seemed delighted to rip apart the Feral that had threatened its mate had only instilled more fear in me.

That...could've been me.

Hell, it had its hands on me when it caught me by surprise. It could've easily snapped my neck or tore into my throat and let me bleed out. Yet...

I blinked, leaning closer in the hopes of seeing them hiding somewhere in the bushes, rubbing through my sore eyes before blinking again.

Nothing.

Pushing myself up and making sure the seat didn't screech over the floor, I made my way to the storage. Granted I had been eating out of cans for a while now, but seeing that they were seemingly in hiding, I decided to test how smart they could be.

I gathered a few ingredients for a small hot meal, making sure to take some of the smoked deer as well. Clicking the stove on, the cooking managed to make me relax a tiny bit as the smell drifted up, provoking a small gurgle from my stomach.

It was a simple meal, a stew of vegetables and smoked deer, but it had a potent smell. One that could attract the Infected's attention, if they were skulking around. Filling a bowl, I took it back to the camera display, snatching a small bottle of water with me along the way.

Blowing gently on the steaming bowl, I dipped a spoon in its contents and dug in, smirking to myself as I saw several bushes shake. A few Beasts sniffed the air before one of them lifted its head and bolted.

The others followed as well and I understood perfectly why; the young male ran after them, snarling at the creatures that formerly chased his mate up in a tree. I shook my head and ate with a troubled frown.

I knew it. They're smart enough to try and lure me in a false sense of security.

Looking at the pair, I made notes in my sketchbook, drawing a rough image of the pair. Looking from afar, anyone could think they were normal humans. They lacked the gory clothes, the countless of wounds any Infected would get by chasing their prey.

I underscored the caution I wrote next to their newly made page, making sure that they were something not to be messed with. But hell, who would ever read these damned journals? I lifted the worn booklet in the air, eying it before sighing.

Nobody ever contacted me on their own free will. Either I found civilization or avoided it. Eric knew where I was based out but he has never come here before. And I doubted he ever would; he had no reason to leave his sanctuary, he had invited me to come live with him.

A muffled roar made me drop my spoon, cursing as stew splattered everywhere across the desk and burned my hand. Yet, the second I looked at the screen, I didn't feel the stinging burn of the hot liquid coating my fingers, nor did I feel the way my heart started to race, hands shaking as my eyes widened in fear.

The young male dashed for its mate, her cries echoing through the woods as rifle fire crackled through the air. She jolted, grabbing for her arm before tumbling in the male's arm. The second he had her, he bolted after the lone male, dodging shots as more rifle fire crackled through the air, creating clouds of dust near their feet and splintering the trees nearby them.

"Fuck me..."

This was worse. Much and much worse.

I could outlast and outsmart Infected. But the men that laughed as they shot at the trio, cursing and sneering as they missed after their initial hit, were worse than the infected. Even with my fortifications, hiding in this bunker was no longer an option.

Get out, get out, get out, now, now NOW!

I bolted for the living area, snatching my gear and tugging it on as fast as I could. Hate and fear mixed together in my stomach, creating a burning bile that threatened to claw its way up as I tried my best to prepare to leave.

My supplies... all those years of hard work

I shook my head as I heard the squealing of tires outside, voices talking and interested hums coming from the true monsters outside. Rogues. Outcasts that killed for fun, who would rather destroy the bunker and see me burn along with my resources than leave me in peace.

Crouching, I moved along the walls towards the storage room, snagging my backpack along as I went. I could only take the bare minimum with me, supplies to survive in the woods, dried food... I'd have to leave all my perishables.

I did make note to take the seeds with me, as I was forced to try and reach Eric's sanctuary once more and ask for a shelter until I've found a new place to stay at. But I couldn't lead these men there.

No... My mind worked at full speed as I tossed item after item in my bag, securing a knife in the side strap and mentally checking everything I had, discarding most of it. If I lead these men to Eric's establishment, they'd murder the men and children, abduct and rape the women...

They'd be better off with the infected.

My ears perked at a sharp metallic sound, tools banging on the solid metal door. A smirk slid on my lips and I nearly snorted. They'd never be able to get through that, it was a solid steel contraption, nearly impossible to destroy-

The banging stopped and silence filled the bunker. My heart was beating rapidly as fear clawed through my body. Slowly I moved out of the storage area, keeping an ear out for the men outside, wondering what they were up to.

I stopped near the back wall, keeping an eye on the steel door on the opposite side of the hallway. My bow and arrows were right within reach but fear stopped me from reaching up and grabbing them.

Something's wrong... It's quiet... too quiet...

I sat in silence for an agonizingly long time. My eyes stayed on the door, heartbeat drumming in my ears as I crouched and moved for my bag.

Gone. Must've-

An explosion rocked the earth underneath me as rocks and dirt spewed inside and through the hallway, pelting me in the face. Ringing filled my ears as I cried out in pain, lifting my arms to protect my head and face from further damage.

The small rocks had already torn gashes in my cheeks and forehead, a thick cloud of dust filled the room. I was disorientated, stumbling on my knees. My bow and gear were no longer in front of me, nor was the table there anymore.

I blinked and blinked again, the piercing shrill shriek still echoing in my ears, a maddening sound that made my temples throb with a headache. Pain announced its presence all throughout my body as I blinked, coughing as the dust and smoke filled my lungs to the point where each breath made me gag-

Movement in front of me pushed the clouds aside, but I was too slow, too stunned and in shock to move. The man leaped forward and kicked me straight in the gut, the force of it making me fall over and groan in agony.

"Found a live one boys!"

"Bring em 'ere! Time to have some fun!"

Hollers and hoots resounded as another man joined the Rogue, hands grabbing at my arms and twisting them behind my back. I stumbled, trying to get away from them but that only resorted in an elbow to the nose.

Crack

I cursed and cried in pain, blood spewing from my broken nose as it started to swell, pain exploding through my face while the man sneered and dragged me to the illuminated exit. They didn't even wait for me to get my footing, dragging me along until they tossed me on the floor outside.

A small groan escaped me at the landing as chuckles resounded around me. Lights were aimed at my face, the sound of multiple guns loading and locking made me gulp as a tremble started to move through my body.

"Think he'll piss himself like the others?"

"Nah, kid doesn't seem nearly scared enough." Another man commented before a bullet was fired, slamming in the dirt an inch or two away from my knees. I jolted, creating more laughter as the man retorted "Now he's properly scared!"

Footsteps sounded behind me before a hand yanked at my hair, baring my throat and forcing me to look up at yellowed teeth pulled in a cruel smirk.

"You all alone here boy?" The man demanded coolly, silencing the other men with ease. I swallowed painfully as the others held their weapons pointed at me.

"Yes Sir."

Laughter filled the group as their leader smirked, moustache curling along with his lip. "Come now, no need to be so formal. We're all just friends here... right guys?"

Cheers and yells resounded from the small group as they roared their engines. Their leader grinned down at me, spitting in the dirt before us before nodding. "You're gonna tell me you found this place all on your own? Quite a gem... Too bad we have the necessary firepower to unlock some doors."

"But I'm sure that all these resources weren't found by you alone, now were they?" He continued, waving his hand at the other men who were carrying everything I owned outside. There were some whistles at the fresh food and small amount of weapons I had before one of my older journals was tossed at my face.

It landed on the floor with a thud, showing off a few rough drawings of the infected and my findings on them. The leader chuckled before nodding to himself, "Ah, we've got ourselves a true intellectual it seems. A scientist, wanting to find a cure? Or maybe you're only gathering information for a group in the city?"

My eyes flashed at that and the man caught it, smirking as he twisted his fist in my hair, yanking my head up sharply before grazing a blade against my throat.

"Where are they hiding?"

I panted, refusing to speak. I had no illusions on how this was going to end, and I refused to have any more people follow me in an early grave. Like I had told Eric before, my mistakes were my burdens to bear.

They'd never get the information out of me.

The man seemed to realize that and nodded, flipping his blade through the air before he tucked it away. "Boys, our guest here is a little bit shy." He yanked me up before snapping his fingers, and I was instantly bound and gagged before tossed in the middle of the group.

"Let's get to know the guy, give him a reason to trust us... maybe then he'll open up?"

I closed my eyes and silently prayed that they'd kill me before they could get anything out of me. The barrage of feet kicking at me was overwhelming, pain webbing through my body as ribs cracked and bones threatened to break.

And all I could do was pray... and hope for a miracle.