• "Every dead body that is not exterminated becomes one of them.
    It gets up and kills! The people it kills get up and kill!"
    --
    Cody.

    The ride to Arsenal Island was a real bumpy one.
    I was packed in the back of a military convoy truck with a load of scared stupid civilians; Some sneezing and coughing on about 5 other people bordering them; Sniveling in fright and in the cold air.

    I didn't really understand how I got stuck in the back of this cramped truck...considering how I'd of left town under the present circumstances... in fact...that’s what I was doing...
    Packing up when the military came knocking at my door and threw me in the back with this miserable lot.

    It began to rain on our way to the Island, more trucks joining ours forming a convoy. It seemed too cold for rain though.
    I looked at all the hunched over bodies that accompanied me on this forced exodus.
    Each face had the same familiar look of confusion and fear.
    --

    We crossed the Arsenal Bridge and came to a halt outside the island's gates.
    Everybody was forced out of the truck and we were marched onto the island, the mud gushing under the obedient cattle.

    The Arsenal was transformed into a giant camp. Tents and sheds were erected in every space available.
    Babies cried and people shoved. There was too much noise and not enough space. It was my worst nightmare, but I smiled. Not a single person here, excluding the military personnel, knew what was going on. The Island was turned into a Refugee Outpost.
    I cursed everyone under my breath. There has to be someone I know here.

    I heard a voice above the crowd. It sounded self-important and pompous.
    I looked for the source and soon found a formation of people surrounding a person on top of a soapbox in the rain.

    "....here for a reason. Look around your city! Gossip, slander, rape, murder, god-lessness! This plague is not natural... its unbelievable... it’s spiritual! In the end your battle is not against the physical disease.... but the cancer that has grown in your soul! This is Gods punishment for your wickedness... may he have mercy on us..."
    The man on his soapbox turned and looked into my eye, then stepped down and turned to a man next him.

    My heart raced. I recognized the pompous man. It was a close friend.
    I pushed through the crowd, but he melted away.

    A voice boomed over the camp.
    "To those that have just now arrived to the Arsenal Encampment; Please return to the front gates to be designated living quarters."

    The crowd began to push back where I had just come from. I guess I'll go with the flow. I followed a group of people that I recognized from the truck to a kiosk near the front gate.
    --

    I slept on a small cot inside a poorly assembled shack made of scrap metal.
    I couldn’t sleep, even though the rain was no longer pounding on the thin metal roof.

    I pulled my cell phone from my pocket. I was getting no reception in the small hut.
    Dammit…the batteries are almost dead too.

    What ever…I think I’ll go stretch my legs.
    I sat up and opened the tarp that covered the entrance.

    It was early morning. I could see soldiers in the distance loading a train that rested above the front gates.

    Suddenly, I heard running footsteps, and gunfire.
    People emerged from their shoddy abodes.

    There was more footsteps and gunfire.

    “All civilians please remain calm. Remain within your designated living areas, until further notice.” The voice boomed over the intercom system.

    More and more soldiers came running past me. This seems ridiculous just for a few…..

    There was a deafening scream before I could complete the thought.
    The alarms blared.

    After that, it was mass hysteria.
    Personnel arrived and began evacuating the civilians.
    “ **FEEDBACK** PLEASE, REMAIN IN A CALM AND ORDERLY FASHION, AND HEAD FOR THE TRAIN. WE ARE EVACUATING THE ENCAMPMENT”
    The booming voice was neither calm nor commanding.
    Gunfire echoed. The screams of confusion and fear were heard everywhere. People shoved to the front of the camp, towards the train and the gunfire. Steam billowed from its stack, and sounded its horn.

    It wasn’t going to wait for everyone.

    And I wasn’t going to be left behind.

    --

    I ran as fast as I could.

    The wheels began to turn and the train nudge ever so lightly forward.
    Soldiers were lifting people into the train cars.

    I pushed forward and did what the others did and held their hands blindly above their heads.
    Just then, I was shoved to the ground.

    "OI! WHAT THE HELL?!"

    I brushed the dirt from my sweater and stood up.
    The man who pushed me was the same man that scolded a crowd from atop a soapbox.
    Nick.

    "Buh..sorry.." but then he caught sight of me and realized who I was. "HOLY CRAP! CODY?!"
    The man next to him turned. It was Twigg.

    Twigg looked impatient. "CMON! We can catch up later! Right now we have to get on the train."
    and then he help himself up onto the cab.

    I shrugged and followed Twigg.

    ~~~~~~~~
    `~~~~~~~
    Riley


    Nature flew past the window of the train as we rode down the tracks. A man across from me had his head in his hands, he had Jeans, Blue Slip-Ons, and a Red T-shirt. He had short hair that was up in a Faux hawk, though it was messed up and not as straight and strong as it once stood. I heard him sigh and look up, his eyes shielded b sunglasses, he had a scruff around his chin.

    "God Damn dude... What happened?" He asked, looking over at me. Normally it would be wierd for a random person to be talking to me, but this was no random person, this was my cousin, Ben Schwind. I looked up to him and shrugged. "I don't even know." I replied to him, as lost as he was. We were on the military base in our City, and suddenly everything went to hell...


    ~


    "MOVE MOVE MOVE!" Shouted a marine at me as gunfire was blaring off in the distance.
    "What? What's going on?" I said, being pulled from my shack and thrown into a group of running people. "What's happening? Where are we going?!" I started to panic, looking around. "Where's my friends? My Family? Where's Maura at? Someone tell me what's going on!" I yelled, getting pushed by the crowd as they ran. I was pulled with the current until we came to a train that was stopped on the tracks. Some soldiers were lifting people into different sections, people hurrying, but they were slow enough that I could talk with some others standing around.


    "What's going on?" I asked the man next to me, he looked over at me, He had short brown hair, he was rather short, and pretty average body-build. "I don't know, I heard someone say something about some rioters outside the gates." He said to me, looking around. "I lost my dog, Have you seen him? It's a lab?" He asked me, I shrugged, "I haven't seen it, sorry man." He nodded, "Thanks anyways." he said, walking away shouting "COSBY! COSBY WHERE ARE YOU?"


    Suddenly a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into a train compartment. I looked at the soldier and demanded for infromation, he only responded by pushing me down the hallway. I grunted and looked through the compartments, looking for Maura or someone else.

    Then I saw a familiar face, I opened up the door. "Hey man, is there a seat here?"

    ~

    I continued to stare out the window until I heard the door open, spinning my head and looking at the people looking in. One popped his head in, he had a beanie on with some pins on it, a Red Sweater, and jeans. Brown Hair, a kind of Roundish face. "Hai, all the other compartments are packed, can we get in he- Riley?" He asked, looking at me. "Cody! Long time no see," I said, grinning, Moving over on my seat, Ben looking up and seeing him. "Heeeey." Cody came in and sat down, A man in a black Zip up hoodie with the Venom symbol on it and a black shirt that said Mountain Dew on it came in. He smiled at us. "Sup Nick," I nodded, him too sitting down. After him came a scrawny-a** kid, he had brown hair and glasses, T-shirt and Jeans, and a big a** Duffle bag. "I Remember you," I grinned. Twigg gave a smile and flashed his fingers gun style at me. "Hey Riley."

    The Five of us talked and caught up, putting together what little information we had and trying to figure out what was going on. "well, I have my theories." Twigg said, his elbows on his knees, leaning forward as we talked in this circle. "I think it's those damn Canadians," I scoffed, shaking my head, Ben replying "Dude, some of my best friends are Canadian." Twigg shrugged. "I don't know, that's what I think." he said, I rolled my eyes. "It's gotta be something, maybe some sort of Army drill?" I suggested, Ben shaking his head. "Nah, they wouldn't uproot an entire City, right?" I shrugged, suddenly I heard Cody Mumble.

    "Whatcha say there, Cody?" I asked, He looked like he had just seen a ghost, or just been made aware of it's existence.


    "Zombies."

    ~

    We all looked at him, "What? No, that's ridiculous." Nick said, but looking disconcered still. "Is it?" Ben said, looking over at me. "No...It can't be, those...arn't real.... Right?" I asked, Twigg looking at the ground. "Yeah. It can't be." We all were trying to deny it, but we knew Cody was right. All signs pointed to it, it made the most sense. We sat in silence thinking it over. This couldn't happen, Zombies?

    I broke the silence, "Well, let's not jump to conclusions. We'll find out soon enough." I said. I looked out the window, it was getting late.

    "I'm goin to Bed, you guys do what you want." I said, curling up in a ball on the seat. I listened to them talk a little more before I finally drifted into my slumber.


    ~~~~~~
    ~~~~~~
    Nick

    I stared out the train car window..... trying to count the stalks of corn as we rolled past. It was an impossible task, and I knew it, but a lot of impossible things were happening today.
    The cramped compartment housed me, Travis, and three long lost highschool friends; Cody, Ben and Riley. It was unreal... how did one day change me so much... I lost my family... I lost my lifestyle... but thats a story for another time. I needed to focus on the task at hand.

    Staying alive. The others in the compartment still had shocked expressions on their faces... the possibility of the dead walking again... actually getting up and being.... alive. Undead... living dead... some have even called them zombies. I call it retribution. This plague was the beginning of the end of our world...... I just didnt think it would happen in my lifetime. Apocalypse.

    I played with the small metal cross in my palm... a chain was connected to the top, it hung down from my hand. It swayed back and forth with the rocking of the train car. To my left was my friend Travis. Unlike most of my friends from highschool, we kept in contact. He was looking at the reflection on his hunting knife, I flinched as I realized I almost forgot about my own weapon. A wood cutting axe rested against the seat beside me. I cursed the deadly tool under my breath... I could never take back the actions it helped me to commit..... but thats behind me now. They were zombies, they were already dead. It doesnt mean I killed them if they're already dead right?

    "So... now what?" Travis asked me. I shrugged, I really didnt know anymore.

    "I suppose we just try to survive." I tried to remember back to old zombie movies. That always seemed to be their main objective. Just to stay alive.

    "Thats a lot easier said than done." He commented.

    "I know." I replied. "But we dont seem to have a lot of options right n--" But I was cut off by a screeching noise and a thud.

    "What the.... did we hit something?" Asked Ben. I looked out the window, off in the distance I could just barely make out a figure at the front of the train. Just as I noticed it... it dissapeared. A group of soldiers rushed past the door.

    "Whats going on?" Asked Cody. I grabbed my axe, they were here. Zombies. Ben took a look out the window as well, suddenly...

    "Ahh!" A grey decaying arm reached in the window and grabbed his shirt. Someone in the room gasped. Riley jumped up and kicked the undead attacker in its face. Weakened bone cracked from the force of the kick, blood stained Bens shirt as the zombie flew out into the surrounding fields.

    "What b***h!?" Riley yelled out the window. "Oh shi-" At that moment the field erupted in a chorus of roars and howling moans. At least thirty zombies ran out of the corn and up to the side of the train.

    "What the crap?! Since when can zombies run?!" Exclaimed Cody. Ben slammed the window shut as another arm crept in. It crunched as the zombie became trapped in the opening. With a quick swing of my axe I removed it and sent the body tumbling to the train tracks.

    "We gotta get out of here!" Travis left to the hallway and we followed. Cody locked the door as more zombies attempted to enter into the small compartment. Gunfire could be heard toward the front of the train.

    "Get to the back." We followed Cody from car to car. Eventually reaching the dining car. The next door was locked.

    "Dead end." I said, a flurry of footsteps tapped above us. "They're on the roof!"

    "Weapons, we need weapons!" Ben yelled. I looked around the dining room.... what could we use? Just then five soldiers carrying assault rifles burst through the door behind us.

    "Civilians? You are supposed to be in your compartment." They ordered.

    "If we stayed in that room we would be dead." Cody replied. "Make yourselves useful, we need to defend oursleves." He pointed to their sidearms.

    "Thats against regulation. We cant give you our guns."

    "Do you want to die? Theres too many of them and you cant hold this place on your own." Cody made a good point. They reluctantly handed over a pistol to each of us.

    "We're a little limited on ammo. There should be about ten shots for each of you." The one that was speaking appeared to be their leader. We loaded the handguns, its weird to have a gun in your hand. Mankinds most widely produced instrument of death. Most of us had never shot a gun before... and we werent going to have time to learn.

    The door on the opposite side of the room began to shake. Through the small window we could make out the shuffling bodies of the undead.... time to make our stand.

    The soldiers opened fire on the door. Bullet holes covered the wooden entryway. We could hear the zombies bodies hit the floor... blood dripped down through the holes of the ruined door. For a moment it was silent...

    CRASH! The door was rammed off its hinges as the next wave of zombies poured through.

    "RUNNERS!" The soldiers kicked down tables, and crouched behind them for cover. The attackers were stuck in a bottleneck, filled with lead the moment they entered the room. Something wasnt right.... even though they should be dead, the zombies kept getting up. Just then one's head exploded, gore coated the wall behind it. The body didnt get up. That was it!

    "Shoot em' in the head!" I yelled over the gunfire to the soldier beside me. "Thats the only way to kill them."

    "Come on guys, we cant just sit here!" Travis ordered. "Lets go!" He jumped over the table barricade and charged the undead. The rest of us followed, I swung my axe and cut one of them in half. The torso dropped to the floor. It snarled and snapped at my feet. It was met by a size-14 shoe. Bens foot crushed its head into the plush carpet.

    Riley shot twice into the crowd. The first bullet embedded its self in the zombies chest, the next impacted just below the eye.

    Cody got too close, a zombie reached out and grasped his shoulders. He punched it in the face, its fragile nose broke. Then Cody planted a bullet in its forehead...

    To my right, Travis swung to decapitate a zombie, and the blade became lodged in its shoulder blade. He kicked the zombie to the ground and removed the knife... then finished it by shoving the blade in the side of the zombies head. That was the last one...

    Gunfire, bloodshed. Looked below. Smelled next meal.... watch brothers fall. They are weak. Mindless followers. Drop to side of train... focused on delicious looking humans inside. Detatch the train car... trap the meat. A reward for the others....

    The train lurched. I fell back against the wall, barely catching myself.

    "What happened?" Cody asked.

    "Its the train car! We're separated from the front." Said Ben.

    "But its ok, its not like there are any more--" But Riley was cut off.

    "ZOMBIES!" Yelled one of the soldiers. Footsteps on the roof were followed by flying glass and zombies jumping in the windows. These undead walked with a hunch, they breathed heavily... every one of them seemed to zero-in on the same target. The soldier leader.

    At least six of them hurried toward the barricade. Short bursts of assault rifle fire dropped the first two.... *Click* *Click*

    They were out of ammo.

    It was a bloodbath. The zombies vaulted over the tables and ripped into the soldiers. Teeth stabbed into the mens necks.... a crimson pool formed around the feast. One of the undead heads snapped up, flesh still in its mouth. It stared right at me with dead soulless eyes. The remaining four crawled back over the tables toward us.

    "Die!!" Yelled Cody. He scooped up a broken table leg and cracked one in the head. Ben shot three times before taking down another. Twigg stabbed the thrid though the neck... the last zombie came for me. I raised the axe above my head, and brought it down pinning the bloody corpse to the floor.

    "That was easy." Riley says sarcasticly. Ben pointed out the window... the train car was hurtling toward an intersection. The cars of people escaping the city were crowded on the tracks.

    "We're going to crash! We cant stop this thing!" I yelled. "Brace yourselves!"

    2 seconds to collision.

    We grabbed railings and luggage racks... it was going to be rough.

    1 second to collision.

    Headlights of the cars illuminated the inside of the dining hall.

    Impact. Bits of wood and metal fly past my face. Bullet shells from the assault rifles rolled from the floor to the ceiling as we derailed. I see bodies thrown across the room as we roll. Everyting goes black....