Chapter 3: Reunion

"RUN!"

Hayley shouted as she and her companions bolted from the scene. The crash caused everything in the city - rather everyone - to head their way. It was evident by the swarms of Infected sauntering down the streets toward the crash-site. The only thing they could do was run. Fighting was useless when they would be surrounded in minutes. Firing off shots with the few bullets they had was even worse. Sound always only made their situation worse...

Sprinting through to an alley between homes, the group tried to settle down as best they could. Hayley brought a finger to her lips, signaling for everyone to calm down and stay quiet. As they leaned against the cold brick wall of the house to their right, they could clearly see the fleshy meatbags called the Infected moving past. In droves, they wandered aimlessly, blindly, down the roads and into open homes or yards heading for the burning, exploding, crash-site. Perhaps this was the best way to escape while all of them were distracted. They wouldn't hear their escape now.

Just as Hayley was about to start out of the alley, she met face to face with one of them. Her jaw seemed to drop as she almost smacked into it. As quietly and quickly as she could, she backed herself into the wall next to her, hoping to God the thing didn't bump into her. She glanced sidelong to her comrades who were doing the very same thing as her. Closing her eyes, she tried to make herself as small as possible.

It wasn't until she felt someone tug on her shoulder that she opened her eyes.

"Hayley... Hayley c'mon we should move..." The whispering of Amber met her ears.

She looked to the others, then back toward where it was headed. Just as everyone started to move out, Hayley found Jaimie slide up the wall until she stood... knocking over a shovel leaning against the wall as she did so. The clatter was loud. Loud enough for it to hear. Jaimie's eyes grew wide as the Infected turned about, hearing the noise, and its outstretched hands grabbed hold of Jaimie's shoulders. It's grasp was as a vice-grip, and she was unable to move, nor make any noise out of sheer terror.

Time seemed to move so slowly. Hayley wanted to scream for the thing to get off her, but anything she did now would either attract more of them, putting everyone at danger. Just as she brought up her makeshift spear, their luck ran out.

The Infected brought its grossly fanged jaws to his victim's neck, chomping down with a sickening noise. A long splurt of blood met the wall as it ripped her neck wide open, flesh between its teeth. Jaimie's screams ended with a terrifying gurgle before she was muffled as she fell to the ground with the Infected feasting over her.

"J-JAIMIE!" Hayley yelled, finally able to plunge her knife-tipped spear into the back of it's skull. It fell, revealing the gruesome scene before them. Jaimie was no longer making any noise. She was passed out with shock, close to death... and rebirth as one of them.

The world buzzed around Hayley in a dull drone. Everything seemed meaningless now. One more friend fell before her. Before her very eyes. Tears streamed down her face, but no sound came - she wondered if she could cry anymore, or perhaps it was no instinct to make no noise. Turning from the scene, she looked to the shocked looks of everyone else around her.

"Picking up her spear, she aimed it for Jaimie's head. She knew what she had to do, as did everyone else there. What's more, Hayley knew that Jaimie would not have wanted to come back as one of them. Closing her eyes she plunged her spear downward. No longer would Jaimie become one of them. And so, without a word, Hayley walked passed the others to the exit of the alley. Looking both ways, she found them cleared. All of the Infected would probably by the crash-site at this point.

"We should leave." She said simply, and in a quiet, calm tone.

As she started out of the alley and onto the quiet, lonesome street, she couldn't help but wonder if their trying to survive was all for nothing. The only thing that kept her walking upon her feet was the fleeting hope that Jacob, her brother, was safe and sound at college, and that her parents were both likewise.




Driving down the highway hadn't taken nearly as long as Jake originally thought. Looming ahead through the abnormal fog that seemed to descend over the highway, he could see the green signs for Bakersfield. Soon, he would find his sister and family... then maybe a hope for escape. After all, if the situation was as bad as it was back in Helmston...

Trying not to think of any of this, he continued to drive in silence among his friends. The highway was mostly cleared - at least on his lane - however other cars drove past in a great hurry in the opposite lane. Everyone was trying to leave Bakersfield. Cars and trucks loaded with packed paraphernalia lined into the traffic at the other side of the highway. Jake didn't envy them, however he couldn't shake the feeling that the situation in his home was much much worse.

Finding his way off the highway, he was greeted with flaming buildings, smoke, and desolation in many places. Cars were parked in the middle of roads, left silent as their occupants were either dragged out, or they ran away. All the signs of a sort of apocalypse were there. Jake faced the cold truth at once, resting his head on the driving wheel as he came to a stop.

"Hayley... where are you?"

Ava buried her face into Harvey's chest before Jamie's head was impaled by a spear. She didn't want to see it. She hardly knew Jamie, but it was another human being. Another human being corrupted by those things. It was utterly terrifying to think about.

Harvey could tell that Ava was definitely crying, but he didn't do anything about it. Normally he'd criticize her for such a thing, but this was no time for that. He pushed her away from him, looking her in the eyes.

"Come on," he said to her, beckoning for her to follow the rest of the group. "We have to get out of here before shit gets even worse than it already is."
"Harvey... thank you," she said to him.
"Don't thank me," Harvey said, shaking his head. "Don't thank me for anything. I'm doing all of this because I have to."

Her thanks did mean a lot to him, but he did not want to admit it. Truthfully, she deserved a lot more from him. Harvey was always looking out for her, of course, but he wasn't usually kind about it.

Harvey and Ava caught up with Hayley as they exited the alley. It was silent, abandoned cars and homes all over the place. This truly was some sort of apocalypse.

"Alright, what next?" Harvey asked Hayley. "How about we go with a plan that doesn't involve any of us getting killed? That would be nice."

OCC - I kept the pistol secret from everyone

When Dante exited the alley he takes a look back and sees them tearing apart Jammie and made Dante sick to his stomach. This was something that Steven King would have dreamed of. He looks towards to Haley and he knew what she is going through. Ending a persons life for the first time taints your soul even if it was to end one's suffering it still suffocates your morality.

He goes through his back pocket and slowly pulls out a box of cigarettes. He lights one up in his mouth and the taste of menthol mixed with the cold air made Dante relax. He walks towards Haley and says kindly "I want to ask a favor from you. I want you to stand strong now and not doubt yourself alright". Dante hoped his word to Haley will help her out for the time being but he is unsure about it.

When Harvey asked about our future Dante looked around and started to think on what would be the best coarse of action. Bakersfield had become unstable and the only way to survive is get out of the city limits but the military would be outside. They could be of help or they also could be not. If a biological epidermic would have happen the Central Disease Control would order a massive quarantine around Bakersfield. If that is to happen everyone might just walk into a firing squad. But the biggest problem would be supplies. We can no longer return to the house and gather water or food so we have to find it. As he scanned the neighborhood he spots two vehicles that interest him which are 2000 Subaru Impreza WRX and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline RTX. Both of them have off road capabilities and the Ridgeline has a enclosed trunk so we will be able to store alot of supplies.

"We should get out of Bakersfield and avoid the highways. Those two vehicles over there will be able to do the job. Bakersfield is way to unstable to stay and it would be alot safer to get out." said Dante.

The idea of driving in a vehicle had indeed occurred to Hayley. The idea of a thick metal shell surrounding all of them was indeed an attractive notion - however the problems with a lack of money, and gasoline reared their ugly heads in her mind. They wouldn't make it too far, in the grand scheme of things. Sighing, she dwelled on the idea so she could give a proper response to Dante.

Leading them back onto her street, she found her home still standing, lonely as ever before. Unlocking the front door, since she had locked everything before leaving, she allowed everyone back inside, where she sat at her counter.

"Taking a car might not be a bad idea actually." Hayley said, trying to clear away all of her signs of stress. Sounding calm and collected at this time wasn't an easy thing. "Lemme think on it. As far as I'm concerned, I doubt the situation is much different anywhere else than it is here."

She found the looks she got from her friends and comrades quizzical. She knew that they wondered what she was thinking. The truth was, it hadn't taken long for her peppy optimism to turn to pessimism. Thinking of this fact glumly, she likened her new outlook as logic instead - a small comfort in her mind at least.

"Listen, I think we should spend the night here and leave in the morning. As long as we lock everything up and keep noises to the minimum, I don't think any of them will wander this way. We'll be safe here. Much safer than out there, or even in a car. But, now, I'm starting to agree that getting out of here is best..." Hayley said. "On our way out though, we need to check on our parents and families."

She hated to admit it, but the second reason for her wanting to stay at her home was for some false sense of hope she had that Jake would return - or her parents for that matter. Her home felt less secure now, more than ever, especially after that attack down in the basement. With the electricity back on (thanks to the generator), at least everyone could take a warm shower or have a hot meal. Hayley took the liberty of giving free reign of the kitchen to her friends.

Though it had only been a short while since they all grouped up to survive in this Infection, Hayley already felt quite close to everyone there. She didn't want to leave them, nor did she want them to leave her. Her resolve to not let anyone else die was greater than ever. The death of Jaimie had made her a bit paranoid, but in a good way. Now, she was much more aware of their situation...


Hours later, as night fell upon Bakersfield. Hayley had stayed up, sitting on a stool by the counter. Liberating a tall glass from the pantry and a wine bottle from the cabinet, she had been casually drinking most of the night. It had at least served to calm her nerves, and though she denied it, she was a bit drunk. Keeping to herself and her thoughts, she awaited everyone else to fall asleep so she could finally rest easy.


It wasn't until around 3:30am that Hayley had finally started to fall asleep. She was bent over the counter, her head resting in her arms by an empty glass of red wine and a half-empty bottle. Her eyes were starting to close as sleep began to take her, however she woke with a start as she heard the sound of a car engine and braking.

Although in her stupor, she was quite alert. Attempting to stand, she managed to make it to the doorway, where she peered out through the peep-hole of the front door. In her driveway, a car had started - or rather an SUV - and one of the doors had opened at the passenger side.

She could have cried when the front door opened and there her brother stood. He had blood spatters all over his outfit, and in one hand he gripped his kendo sword, stained and slightly battered.

"Hayley!" Jake exclaimed as he found his sister standing by the door. Grabbing her, he pulled her into a warm embrace. He couldn't express his joy at finding her alive and well.

Hayley felt the same. She had been doubting whether or not he was still in Helmston, safe and sound. But, finally, there was a happy ending to her search, if only fleeting. She had started to cry in his arms as he hugged her. The door remained open behind him, through which his own college friends entered. Thus, everyone was gathered in one place finally.

Jake couldn't help but look at Hayley and see the horrors she had been through. Her clothes were worn and stained with blood. Her face showed just how weary she was - exhausted with the stresses she and her own friends had been through. Looking up, he saw her own comrades who were now quite away with the disruption from their sleep. He was glad that they had managed to survive their ordeal at least.

Spotting Harvey, he recognized him immediately at Ava's brother. Considering how often Ava was over their home, Jake met Harvey once or twice before while on his own college breaks.

"Thanks for looking after Hayley, Harvey. Ava. You guys have been through a lot, huh?" Jake commented.

"Worse than us probably..." Jake's roommate, Everett Chamberlain said.

"You sure took your sweet time," Harvey said to Jake grimly. "You probably realize this, but shit has gotten bad. Really bad."

Harvey looked terrible by this time. Just like everyone else he was having a hard time sleeping. Lines were clear under his eyes and he looked utterly exhausted. He hated to admit it, but the recent events were hitting him very badly. In his hand was a cigarette, halfway spent. Smoking helped calm his nerves.

"I'm so glad that you're alright, Jake," Ava said, a concerned look on her face. "I was almost certain something terrible would happen. So many terrible things have happened already..."

"Shut up about that, Ava," Harvey said, waving his hand. "No use bringing that shit up again. No use at all."

Harvey didn't want another word about their dead friends coming up again. He knew how much they meant to Hayley and he did not want it to affect her judgment. Their leader had to be mentally stable otherwise they'd all eventually be killed by these monsters.

"Anyways, it seems you've somehow made it here in one piece," Harvey said to Jake, nodding. "How are things looking on your end? You've been through town a bit, I assume. How bad is it getting?"

When Dante arrived at the house he was sorta glad that the house is not covered with the Infected. Just as he enters into the living room and jumps onto the couch laying his head on a pillow starring at the ceiling fan. Hayley walked over and responded to his idea but he was not surprised from the response. He knew she had hope that somehow her relatives will knock on the front door but he didn't wanted to push it. "Alright then Haley give it a thought about it tomorrow" said Dante.

A hour passed by and Dante decided to go to the bathroom just to clean himself up. The smell of the corpses on him had annoyed Dante and the fact of hot running water shower made Dante happier.

Several minutes pass when Dante finished his shower and when he got out of the shower with a towel tied around him he starts to stare at the mirror. He had a tattoo on his shoulder which was a cross that reed "Infamous 13" on it. The tattoo was their to remind Dante of his past which has been stained the blood of others. As he turns his head away he looks at his shorts on the ground and sees the pistol he had. He bends over and grabs the small pistol and opens the magazine and unloads the three rounds into the sink. He looks at himself in the mirror holding a empty gun in one hand and starts to vision himself at the age of 13 back in Italy. It was a old memory of his first time using a pistol. The mirror didn't reflect himself but showed the memory as if Dante was watching a movies of his past. As soon his memory ended Dante grabs the three rounds out of the sink and starts to run the faucet to wash his face. He was breathing heavy as if he finished a marathon. "What just happen to me" said Dante.

He puts on his clothing and as he walks out of the bathroom he looks back and sees he had forgot about the pistol. He quickly hides the pistol in his back pocket with the rounds in the magazine. He walks out of the bathroom and heads towards the front door. The phenomenon that had happened in the bathroom made him urging for a cigarette. As soon he unlocked the door and entered outside he started to light a smoke. The tobacco cooled him down and made him forget of what had happened to him.

He was about done with his 8th cigarette when he starts to hear a sound of an engine close by. Dante forgot about his machete inside of the house and he didn't want to pull out the gun yet. But when he saw headlights of a truck heading towards the house he slowly puts his hand near his back pocket and starts to back up the wall. But when Haley started to run over Dante stopped himself from pulling out his pistol. It was her brother and friends so there was no need to worry. Dante didn't know Haley's brother so he just decides that he would just go back to smoking his pack.

Ryan walks into the house and sits down sitting his bag nearby his feet. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts and enjoy the hot meal. After the hot meal he takes the opportunity to get cleaned up because who knows how long it would be before he got another one. He comes out of the bathroom and decides to go back to rest on the couch. After all, a decent night's rest will be the best rest he'll be getting until they get out of Bakersfield.

Shortly after waking up Ryan hears the roar of an engine approaching. He stands up and grabs his bag. Throwing it over his shoulder, he walks to see who it is only to find out it is someone who appears to be related to Hayley. He walks away towards the two cars found nearby and checks them out. He takes a look at the engines to see if they are even able to run. After doing so, he returns inside washes up and goes back to resting. Ryan didn't have family he could reach. His family had gone on vacation to a foreign country and couldn't be contacted until they got cell phone reception. Ryan was sure they had reception by now but for him the hope of knowing that they had reception gave him hope because for the time being he didn't have any family to talk to while he could. The thought of hearing from his loved ones was something he longed for but could only dream of in a desolate area with no reception and full of creatures. Ryan took out a picture of his family from his wallet and thought about them after sticking it back inside the wallet. He continues to rest hoping that they can take the cars nearby and leave Bakersfield.

Dante was standing outside leaning against a wall just watching the re union. In his mind he was glad that there was no altercation because if one had happen the mindless bags of human flesh will start heading towards the group. It was still early in the morning but the sun will rise very soon.

The group did get bigger but we had a means of transportation. Instead of hijacking multiple cars they might be able to just use the ones that are in front of his eyes. But Dante actually wanted to steal one of the parked cars. It would be one joy that Dante can do with out the consequences to get him.

He walks inside of the house just before Ryan. Dante had two things he wanted to do which was one to let the others deal with the new people and two to watch Ryan. Dante did not trust the guy at all. His story of a plane crash sounded off to Dante. It was no coincidence that Dante finds a murdered body and suddenly Ryan appear.

He walks into the kitchen and goes through the cupboard and finds nothing that Dante would enjoy. "This sucks, there is nothing worth eating in here. I wish I was at home" said Dante. In a corner of his eye he finds several bottles of wine on the a table top. He walks over there and just grabs one of the bottles and starts to drink it heavily. One bottle was empty and another was going to become dry. Wine was not Dante's favorite drink but alcohol is the same either way. When the second bottle was gone he decided to leave the last one alone. Dante did get drunk from the wine but was still able to walk then stumble onto the living room couch. The pistol in his back pocket made him jump out of the couch with pain. "I forgot about this piece of junk" said Dante. He pulls the pistol out and magazine, the gun was empty and Dante was feeling more tired and less logically. He forgot the one fact and it was : no one knew about the pistol. He puts the magazine into one pocket and places the empty gun on the nightstand. He finally plops on the couch and starts to enter a drunk slumber.

"Driving through the city to get here was no picnic." Jake started, looking to Harvey with a stern look. "Bakersfield has been turned into a hell on earth, and honestly, it isn't too different in Helmston, where I go to University."

Everett gave him a quizzical look. "Do they really need to hear that, Jake..?" Everett said.

"Yes. You're delusional if you're still not accepting that this is the end of normality. Look around us? We're surrounded by.. by... them, or other people about as desperate as we all are. It's complete anarchy." Jake replied with a cool tone.

"I know... but, they're just kids.."

"They aren't much younger than we are."

Everett was quiet after Jake's rebuttal. He had to stop lying to himself and just accept the cold, hard truth - their normal, everyday lives that they had been used to for years had been thrown out the window. The name of the game now was 'adapting', and those could couldn't adapt wouldn't make it very far. This realization seemed to have hit them all at that moment of quietness. The world they had known was now gone, possibly for good. They stood upon the brink, looking down into a proverbial dark abyss containing a grim, unknown future.

And there was no turning back.

Jake looked to everyone. Even those who had been sleeping look exhausted. After all, he guessed they were fighting to stay alive just as long as they had been. It had only been around two days since the beginning of this Infection, but everyone was worn down to the bone. Even he felt his own weariness starting to overcome him.

"Hayley, you've been leading everyone here?" Jake asked, changing the subject.

"Y-yea... B-but we lost some--" Hayley started, stumbling over her words before she was interrupted.

"Don't finish that. As soon as you start thinking about that, it's all over." Jake said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Survival depends upon your leadership."

"Mine?! But you're here, and you're all the oldest. Shouldn't you lead us?" Hayley asked, wiping away a tear.

"No. I don't mean to be so blunt, but your friends trust you more than they do me. It's only right that you lead on. I'll be by your side, I'm not leaving. After all, I'm your Onii-san, right?" Jake said, grinning to his sister in an attempt to cheer her up a bit.

"A-Alright..." Hayley replied.

"Listen, we should all sleep. Rest is necessary if you all want to live through this. I don't care what it takes --" Jake looked over to Dante, who had drank himself to sleep on the sofa. "-- Just get some rest."

Closing the front door, first making sure everyone was inside and safe, he locked up the house and looked to his own comrades. The seven Helmston University students now found themselves a part of a much larger group. Honestly, they found comfort in the others. Everett Chamberlain, Ashley Jennings, and then Jessica Griswold, Alan Gibbs, Ian McCameron, and Emily Sedrik all looked to Jake, who sighed as he leaned against the wall.

"You should get some sleep too. I drank enough coffee to stay up the night... I can keep watch." Ashley said. "I was going to anyway because of sign-in duty at the dorm..."

"Alright... thanks, Ashley." Jake said.

From that moment, everyone went off to find a place to sleep and get some rest. The only ones who chose to remain awake were Everett and Ashley - Jake had a feeling that it was less about the coffee and more about the fear that kept both up. Before climbing the stairs to his own room, Jake was stopped by Hayley, who handed him something. It was wrapped in a silken cloth, distorting the shape a bit, however he could tell what it was.

"Otōsan kara no chūmon wa?" [trans. "Orders from dad?"] Jake asked fluently in Japanese to his sister as he took the package.

"Hai." [trans. "Yes."] She replied simply.

Unfurling the cloth, he beheld the ancestral katana that had been with their family for generations. Besides his own family, that katana was the only other possession that Hayley's and Jake's father truly treasured, being from a long lineage of Samurai. Jake's face glowed with a small smile, he felt a sort of mystic honor in holding such a thing in his hand. Having trained in kenjutsu (swordsmenship), Kendo, and the martial arts for almost fifteen years, it was only natural that his weapon of choice would be a sword.

"I'll see you in the morning." Jake said, shutting the door to his room after hugging his sister goodnight.

Harvey had little else to say once Jake finished evaluating the situation with them, so he decided to follow his suggestion and get some sleep. He nudged Ava along. God knew she needed sleep more than he did.

They both entered the living room and took one of the couches. Dante was in the same room, apparently passed out from drinking. Idiot, Harvey thought to himself. I wouldn't mind a drink myself, but dealing with a hangover and zombies all at once would be fucking awful.

Ava took one side of the couch, leaning against the arm the chair. She put her legs up on top of Harvey, who was sitting normally at the moment. Harvey could fall asleep in just about any position, even upright like this. He was so tired that he didn't care how uncomfortable it was.

"Harvey, are you still awake?" Ava asked once Harvey was just about to nod off.
"Now I am," he said irritably. "What do you want? Is it important?"
"Well... not really," she said.
"Come on, what is it?" Harvey asked, more insistently. "I know you didn't wake me up for no reason. Just tell me."
"Do you think mom's still alive?"

Harvey paused. He had to think carefully before answering that question. In all likelihood, both their parents were probably dead by now. The survival rate on the streets of this city was very close to zero. Even if they locked themselves into their home, the dead would find a way inside if they even heard the slightest noise.

"I don't know..." Harvey replied, not sure what to say. "I really don't know."

Ava went silent after that and Harvey couldn't think of what else to say. God dammit, he thought to himself, letting out a sigh. For both of them, it was hard to get any sleep after that. Regardless, the stress of the past few days finally got the best of them, sending them both into a troubled rest.

The sun was about to rise when Dante started to wake up. He was sluggish to get off of the couch that he had just slept on. As he looked around himself with baggy eyes he can tell that many people where still asleep. The wine that Dante had last night is getting the best to him. His head was pounding heavily as if there was a concert in his head. Today is going to suck Dante thought to himself. I need some aspirin but where can I find some?

He walks over to the front door in order to look through the window. Dante's eyes sees nothing that resembles to life. There where no people, no animals, and luckily none of the infected nearby. It is completely dead outside of the house. Its very quiet out there Dante thought to himself. This may be a good chance for me to go salvaging in the nearby homes.

He walks to the couch he had slept on and picks up his machete. In a glimpse of one of his eyes he sees the small pistol on the table. It would be safer if I left that here but I will take the ammo just in case Dante thought to himself. I do not want to attract those filthy things so the machete will be quieter.

After a couple minutes of scribbling a note he leaves it near Harvey's couch. As he left for the front door he picks up his last cigarette and lays it into his mouth and lights it as soon he closes the front door.

He scans the houses on the block deciding which one he will be breaking into. There was this one house that stand out of the rest. The lawn messy and had some discoloration to it, the trash cans where out while the rest on the block did not, and finally there was a lock on its backyard gate. This was a perfect house in Dante's eyes. The home owners are probably gone for something. So there should be no guest both living or dead inside it.

He walks towards to the front door and tries to turn the knob. It was locked but it was not a surprise. He slides to the side of the front door in order to look through it's window. He could not see through the glass clearly except for what the door had in locks. It was a simple cheap lock with no deadbolts to it. He can easily dislodge the lock with his machete. It would be the quietest way to get in. He sticks his machete through the open slit of the door/frame. It was stuck and Dante had to do one thing only. He pushes the machete back and fourth until finally the door frame brakes allowing the door lock becoming useless.

He opens the front door to the abandon house and can finally see what is in it. The home was something out of a house decoration magazine. There was alot of decorative items which where completely useless to Dante. As he walks around the home he stumbles upon the kitchen. His stomach was starting to growl and it has been a while since Dante had something to eat. He looks in the fridge and sees it is full of beer, energy drinks, and 1 rancid milk jug. But the cupboard was completely different. It had several boxes of protein bars and pretzels. "Breakfast of champions my ass" Dante said angrily. His stomach got to the best of him and soon he already ate 3 protein bars.

Jake woke up a bit earlier than normal, taking a warm shower and setting up a hot breakfast for himself. After all, he wasn't sure how often they would be able to do such a thing. For all he knew, and the rest of his comrades, this would be the last time they might be able to have a hot meal in a long time to come.

As he ate, he could hear a bit of stirring from upstairs in Hayley's room, and upon the couch in the next room over. He knew that quite a few of the guests were starting to wake from their slumber. Taking another bite, he looked out the window. The sun was out, however the weather stayed overcast - sporadically, the sunlight would disappear behind dark grey clouds. Leaning forward over the kitchen's island counter, he could see several darker clouds looming ahead.

"Shit. Bad weather..." Jake thought as he sipped on some orange juice.

The water turned on upstairs. He figured that Hayley was already up and wanted to take a shower. After about ten minutes, the flow stopped and Hayley came down shortly after. She had managed to take a short shower - despite how he thought she would take a long one like usual. She had blow-dried her long, silken black hair until it was perfectly straight and flawless. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with new vitality. He wondered why she came down with a smile and hugged him.

"Morning sunshine. What's got you so happy?" Jake asked with a smirk.

"Everyone's here... well, almost everyone." Hayley said cheerfully.

Sitting down opposite Jake, she plopped into the bar-stool chair after fixing her own plate with food. Taking a bite, she exclaimed happy that she enjoyed it.

"Mmm, did you make all of this?" She asked.

"Yea.. I thought I might as well treat everyone to a good breakfast before we get going. Maybe your own friends will start to trust me a bit then." Jake said.

"You're going to stick with us then?" Hayley asked hopefully.

"Of course. What kind of brother would I be if I just up and left?" Jake could help but laugh at the thought. She smiled.

Everyone had started to wake up.

"Come on guys, It's getting late and I can't keep the eggs, bacon, and breakfast sausage warm forever." Jake announced.

"I smell bacon."

Harvey woke up to hear his sister saying that a little louder than he would have preferred. She was right, though. The smell of bacon was definitely in the air. Someone decided to cook some food for once.

"Come on, Harvey, let's get something to eat!" she said to him with a smile, pulling him off the couch.
"For Christ's sake, give me a minute," Harvey groaned. "The hell's gotten into you?"
"Oh, nothing," Ava said, shaking her head. "I just smell bacon. And I know you like bacon."
"Christ..."

Harvey hated it when Ava got like this. It was slightly obnoxious, but at the same time he was glad that she wasn't worrying about everything that was going on.

They both entered the kitchen, and a full meal was planned out on the table. Harvey noticed the weather outside before this, however. It was probably going to rain. If that was the case, they'd likely have to stay here longer.

"Jake, thank you so much," Ava said happily as she took a plate off the table and started to help herself. 'You are awesome."

Though Harvey was hungry and all, he didn't feel like digging in right away. For some reason his appetite was lost. It probably had to do with all those shambling freaks that were outside.

"Hey, I'm going to take a quick shower," Harvey said, stretching a bit. "Ava, save a bit for me, will ya?"

Ava nodded and Harvey went upstairs, grabbed a towel, and turned the shower on. He knew the layout of the house slightly, as he used to hang out with Jake every so often. Before this whole catastrophe started, Harvey wasn't exactly close to anyone else in the family. This was the first time he'd set foot in the house since Jake went off to college.

Shedding his clothes, Harvey stepped into the shower and did a quick rinse before getting out and drying off once more. It was a short shower, but good enough to make him feel refreshed. He put his clothing back on, and stepped out to get some food before it was too late.

As Harvey went to take a much needed shower, Jake attended toward breakfast and the others. Ava sat next to Hayley, who both started to chat a bit to themselves. Jake couldn't help but grin as he listened. It was nice to hear his sister speak of things girls normally speak of - nothing dealing with death, or the Infected, or her leadership capabilities. Just innocent chatter between herself and her best friend.

Soon, his own friends had started to wake up. Everett and Ashley were the first. Both had been sleeping on a large couch opposite each other. Jake had laughed upon finding Everett curled up right next to Ashley by the morning. He knew he was a restless sleeper and moved a lot in bed, so it didn't surprise him. In fact, a few days before all of this horribleness started to happen, Everett had fallen from the top bunk in his sleep, straight down into a cushy armchair at the side of the bed, and continued to sleep as if nothing ever happened.
Ashley gave a short scream when she awoke to Everett curled up next to her, still sleeping. She was obviously startled at first, but afterward decided to merely push him off her so she could get off the couch.

Rolling onto the floor, Everett woke up with a start, his eye shooting open in fright. Upon smelling the bacon, his fears dissipated rather quickly. Jessica and Emily were next. They, on the other hand, decided to sleep together in each others' arms because of fear of the Infected. Not surprising either, by how they had to fight against those... things... just to escape the dorms. Alan and Ian were next, very soon after Jessica and Emily because they heard everyone else awakening. Seeing the bacon frying in the griddle, a eggs being done for everyone alongside other things, hunger made them ignore their sleep deprivation. Both had been trying for an all-nighter prior to the Infection.

"You all look pretty lively..." Jake said sarcastically, as he retrieved more plates from the cupboard. "C'mon, my treat."

Placing some eggs and toast onto a plate, he topped it off with four strips of bacon.

"Everyone better wake up if you want any more!"

Amber woke next, a thread of drool hanging off her chin. Her eyelids were still droopy, her hair unkempt. Somehow she still looked rather pretty despite it all.

"Huh wha...?"

Wiping her face on her shirt, she moved to the table alongside Hayley and Ava after taking her own plate. Jake wondered if this was really one of the last times they would all enjoy some ounce of normality.

"Harvey, I saved you a plate!" Ava called over as Harvey came back down the stairs. She handed it to him and he took a seat. He realized just then how hungry he really was. All the traveling and tension that the walking dead brought to him made hunger the least of his worries beforehand. Now that he had eggs and bacon in front of him, however, he was painfully reminded.

"Thanks," Harvey said briefly before taking a large bite out of his food. Within minutes he was finished. In most cases he's ask for more, but there probably was only enough for everyone to have one serving. Even if he was an asshole, he didn't want anyone missing out on this. Besides, if someone was malnourished, they'd just drag the rest of the group down.

Harvey tossed his dishes into the sink and decided to walk over to Jake. Ava was just fine, talking with the other girls. It was great to see her smiling like that again, but he knew it wouldn't last long. The dead were still out there, and it was getting worse by the day. Even by the hour.

"Sorry to interrupt all of this merrymaking, but what the hell are we supposed to do now?" Harvey asked Jake audibly, taking a look out the window. "Are we going to brave the rain, or what? We either go through it or just sit back and watch those dead fuckers pile up in the streets. Both options sound pretty shitty to me. I'm not trying to cause a problem or anything with all this talk, I just want to know if you've got some sort of plan in mind."

Jake looked to Harvey after he was asked about having a plan. A plan? He had never even believed he would make it home in one piece, let alone did he think he'd want to leave it. But he did, however he knew better than most that he should allow Hayley to continue leading the pack. She had already done so with her friends, and despite a few casualties along the way, everyone was safe and sound. They were strong. They fended off the Infected just as successfully as he and his own friends did.

"A plan? Nope. I have nothing." Jake said, not hiding his grin.

Harvey was silent, but giving him a quizzical look. What else could he say? That he barely planned the escape from Helmston? That he and his friends got to the cars by chance, and someone, by the grace of God, made it to Bakersfield?

"I'm leaving it up to my sister. You all know her better than you do me. She knows what she's doing." Jake explained himself, scratching his head.

Hayley returned from her bedroom, bearing several items that she wished to bring along with them the next time they left. Looking to Jake and Harvery, she overheard their conversation. Sitting back down at the table, aside Ava and Amber, she cut in as soon as Jake was finished speaking.

"I think you sho--" When she got a look from Jake she stopped herself from saying that he should lead "... you should tell me about how Bakersfield was outside of the neighborhood. Is it cleared?"

"Not really. It's as bad as the footage that the news showed a day or two ago. They roam the streets, while the survivors run as far as they can. And then there is the roadblocks on the other bridges leading out of the city." Jake said.

"Road blocks? By who?" Hayley asked, suddenly interested.

Jake's eyebrows raised. So they didn't know. He supposed that the electricity had probably but cut before the broadcast could be delivered to everyone in Bakersfield.

"The Army is here, Hayley. They've quarantined the city. The only reason I got through is because I told them that I had family waiting to be picked up at the end of the bridge for evacuation." Jake said.

"The army is here?" Ava asked, her mouth full of food still.

"Fuck, I should've known they get involved," Harvey said, running his fingers through his hair. "They are going to be more of a problem than those fucking zombies. If it's a quarantine, they probably won't let us past. They'll think we're infected."

As helpful as the army was, Harvey couldn't help but be pissed off by their presence. For one, he hated authority figures. He believed the world was better off without them. To add to that, the roadblocks would make navigation much more difficult. Harvey was sure that they would not just let random survivors go past their barriers. It was very likely that they could get split up at military checkpoints.

"Fucking fantastic," Harvey said.

"Well, this is good, right? Ava said, shrugging. "I mean, the military are here to help us."

"They're just here to hold us back, Ava," Harvey said, glaring at the ground. "I'm almost positive they won't be interested in taking us in if the infection gets as bad as it's getting. What do we do if they don't let us back through? Rot and die?"