It was silent for awhile, gunshots were the only sound heard for miles but now it was all dead silence, we're they done?, maybe she could finally get across the prison, but if she got shot from behind after getting seen she asked herself quickly crouching behind some trees in front of a former motel. She didn't want to die, all she wanted was to get across to the other side safely without getting hurt or getting involved with anyone's problems, she has managed to get it this far without having an encounter with an survivor or any scavenger. After much thoughts she stood ready to run all the way through but as she did she saw them, a lady being carried by a guy while they ran heading for the forest infested city, we're they all involved in the shootout she wondered not seeing anyone chasing after them, it was her time to move, she knew this and instinctively ran following the two who had just ran out the huge city prison.

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  COMPANIONS

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  The heat of the sun scorched them harshly, they could tell that the more they travelled the more harsh the sun's heat grew, was ur because they were getting closer to the zone they wondered still moving forward regardless.

  After walking a few blocks they decided to take a rest, they could feel the floor trembling underneath, it wasn't much but they could tell smokes wasn't wrong, the herd was approaching quickly, was the zone still further away they couldn't tell, smoke would've known Chloe smiled placing a bat she had picked up on the way here, they had left their weapons back at the prison, this was now the only way to defend themselves.

  While Chloe wielded a baseball bat, Zack held a dagger one he found on a corpse some hours back, they were good for close combat but they had to avoid getting into a fight with any herd of infected.

  "The stores clear, we gotta move....I can feel it....the herd, I've...... I've never felt anything like it"Chloe said slowly getting on her feet

  "We just detoured, we haven't been here that long" Zack reacted otherwise

  "Exactly.... Too long might get us killed. We gotta go, if you don't wanna feel free to stay, I'm off"Chloe said stareing back at Zack before walking out of the store Zack quickly followed behind, Chloe wasn't acting like herself, she wasn't acting like the Chloe he knew, and all that since smoke died, what was really going on?, Zack needed answers more than anything, he hastened his footsteps getting ahead of Chloe he stood obstructing her from moving any further.

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  "Whats really going on Chloe" Zack asked he noticed some infected approaching, they were a block or two away from Chloe and him, they were safe for now

  "What do you mean?" Chloe asked

  "Chloe I know you know what I meant by that, you haven't been yourself lately, you get nightmares I ask and you don't, you started acting all tough I bring that up and you avoid the question, this ain't you Chloe, what's going on"Zack asked concerned Chloe wasn't just acting bossy and having nightmares she cried sometimes and Zack had never seen her cry since they met, had his death caused this much toll on her he wondered, was he anymore special than he was?, waving his thoughts aside he staredr Chloe whose gaze was fixed away from him.

  "Chloe answer me"Zack requested, he needed answers, he needed Chloe to give him an answer but she didn't look like she wanted to.

  "I don't think I have to Zack......nothing's wrong with me, I'm alright" Chloe replied and then with a silent whisper asked Zack to get off her way which Zack did after some seconds stareing at her.

  "Ok then......that's how it's gonna be then right?" Zack thought killing the infected which had gotten to where he stood, a heavy stab through the chin to the brain brought the second infected down.

  Wiping off the blood of the infected on the clothes they wore he followed behind Chloe.

  They had walked some distance when Zack noticed a cop car with its door open, maybe the car still worked Zack thought, Chloe had the same idea he did and had approached the car to inspect it before he did, "still works just missing some gas, gas been pumped out by someone....we get gas we can use it"Chloe said expecting a response from Zack but he walked past her heading for another car beside the road, inserting his tube into this cars fuel cap he siphoned the remaining gas it had, unfortunately that wasn't going to be enough so he had to re do the same thing on multiple cars before gaining a reasonable amount of gas, he was sure this could get them some distance before running out. Returning to the cop car he poured the fuel in then got into the car all this without uttering a word to Chloe, she stood there for awhile before actually getting in why was he acting strange all of a sudden she wondered stareing at him. She could've just asked but she did want to, he'd go back to normal soon enough she let out a sigh as she watched him hotwire the car until it turned on.

  "Hold on.....I wanna tag along!!!"a voice called out from behind them a feminine voice, turning around Zack could see a girl about 17 years old running towards them. Zack wanted nothing else but to help her but his experience helping others had only left sores on him, he didn't want that happening anymore, didn't want to feel the pain of losing anyone ever again "sorry....but I can't" he whispered driving off.

  "What the hell Zack.....we can help her, we should help her"Chloe protested but Zack didn't even flinch, didn't act like he regretted what he had just done or tried acting like he cared about what Chloe was saying.

  "Zack!!, we can still help her"Chloe said again but Zack only revved on.

  "Why?.....so we can get stabbed from behind again.......and this time we lose someone might be you, might be me?....., I don't plan on making same mistake twice ok.......I don't plan on it"Zack responded yelling, he had never yelled this angry before, was the first time she had seen him like this, she understood his point and why he didn't want to help her but Chloe felt like she had to, she owed it to smoke, a life for a life she smiled

  "I know.... it's hard..., it really is...but she's still a child for Christ sake, we can't leave her out here all alone, she could get killed, we have to take her along.., I think smoke would've done the same" Chloe ended her sentence, she was right what was he doing?, he wasn't thinking right. Stepping on the breaks he turned the car around heading for the door where she had called for help.