• “Why, don’t leave me if so!” Otaki hugged Dran tightly, repeating the words ‘Don’t leave me if so, don’t leave me if so.’
    It made him hurt all the worse that he’d need to leave her. “I have to. I’m going to get out of this truck, and I need you to slam the gas, find Kait.” He took his glove off his left hand, setting it in her lap. There was a massive horde of zombies between them and home, as he said “I need you to do this, and give Kait the glove. Assume the worst, I’ll probably die doing this.” With a kiss, not letting her argue, he got out of the truck.
    Otaki climbed into the driver’s seat, and cried as she watched him run ahead into the zombies, sword in his hand tightly. She hit the gas, knowing that she wouldn’t have anybody to hold, nobody to love.
    Dran watched the truck begin to go through the zombies, which slowed it down considerably, as he fought as best he could, defending himself from all sides. “Come on, you damn meatheads, is this the best you’ve got!?” He suddenly felt something, a zombie bite to his right arm. “Damn, that’s my good arm!” Still using the arm his sword was in, he removed the zombie’s head, continuing as best he could to fight them off, knowing he would probably not get out alive. Deciding to live, he began to fight his way out, after the truck that almost had escaped now. He pulled out an FAL rifle, with a silencer attached, and aimed for each individual head, usually getting more than one kill per shot. He then heard a truck horn, and looked to see the truck Otaki was now driving covered in zombies.
    He ran as fast as he could after the truck, shooting the zombies down. The truck pulled over as he continued, and after shooting the last one off, he climbed into the passenger seat of the truck, smiling at Otaki. “Hello, Otaki.”
    “Dran!” Otaki hugged him tightly, forgetting about the zombies.
    He hugged her back, saying “Sorry to scare you like that. For now, we need to get going, drive hon.”
    She did as he asked, and slammed the gas, setting course for San Diego.

    Outside, the wind and rain had stopped, and Jason had used networks to communicate with many other survivors. He now had various guns strapped to him, as he said “I’m going out to supply the survivors. They need weapons, and I’m going to give them what they need. Kait, don’t come with me.”
    “But, I want to help, I want to be of some USE! I’m going with you.”
    Opening the door to the truck, he said “Goodbye, Kait.” Looking in the rearview mirror, he started the truck.
    As soon as Kait heard the engine, she jumped up, and gripped the back of the truck tightly. Once they were moving, she used all her strength to climb along the side using the supports, and climbed in the passenger door, buckling herself in. Exhaling, she joked “I told you that you weren’t leaving me.”
    “You’re stubborn,” Jason said. He then smiled, “I love that about you.” Looking at the GPS, he began to follow the directions, as Kait read the address.
    “245 Newton Way? That’s impossible, that’s…” She rubbed her eyes, and re-read the address, a massive smile showing. “That’s MY address!” Jumping up and down in her seat, she said “DRAN AND I AREN’T THE LAST ONES! Cousins, aunts, uncles, somebody’s alive! Drive, drive, DRIVE!” She was more than excited to see who else in her family was alive, simply dying to know.

    Sen and Megan sat there in Wal-Mart, continuing their conversation, both of them thinking about watching Kait leave with Jason. “You think she’ll be back?” Megan was missing her friend, and the two were sitting on a couch, her eating sunflower seeds, him a raw steak.
    After swallowing another bite, Sen stated “It’s entirely up to them whether or not they return. On the other hand, knowing how friendly the two of you are, and how much Jason can learn from me, I’d say it’s more than likely.” Sen pulled up a stereo, saying “It’s quiet in here, that’s annoying to somebody with such great hearing.” Plugging it in, he pulled out a CD that was labeled Nick’s Party Mix; Rock, and flipped to track three. A low-pitched alarm sound blared four times, and The Final Countdown by Europe began to play. Sitting back down, he said “Much better.”

    The truck pulled up, as Kait practically flew out of the truck, and into the house, saying “Who’s in here!? Come on, it’s Kait!” She ran around, looking frantically for survivors, until she entered what used to be her room. There was nobody there, only an Xbox 360 that was left running on Halo 3.
    She was about to cry, until she turned around. Two zombies, one taller than her, probably in his young twenties, and another. The second zombie was much shorter even than Kait, and only looked six or seven years in age. Kait closed her eyes, and imagined Dran pushing her onward, in the way he probably would if he was there, as she pulled out the sword that was at her side.
    “I’m so sorry, Tanner.” With one slice, she removed the young zombie’s head, and jumped up to stab the other through the head, killing it. She pulled the sword out of her former relative’s head, crying. She turned off the console, and Kait headed back out to the truck, the tears still pouring down her face.
    She hugged Jason tightly, and said “There isn’t any survivors in here, just…just more zombies!” It tore her up inside, but the truck seemed cold to her suddenly. “Jase, did you turn on the AC or something? It’s really cold in here.”
    “No, it’s still off,” Jason told her, taking off his jacket, and wrapping it around her. “I don’t see why you’re cold.”
    Kait opened her cell phone, and was called Megan, as she answered. “Hey, Kay. How’s the search?”
    “N-Not too good, I don’t feel so good. Can you put Sen on, he should know what’s going on.”
    Megan passed her cell phone to Sen, saying “It’s for you.”
    Sen held the phone to his ear, asking “Whatcha need?”
    Kait put her phone on speaker, and shivering, said “Well, for starters, I’m f-freezing in here. But j-just now, I started to feel really weak.”
    “Kait, you need to listen closely, tell Jason, too. I know what’s happening to you, but you’re not dying, just get back here, NOW!”
    “Okay, thanks.” Hanging up, she said “Th-there we have it. I guess it’s us or them. I d-don’t really care, I’m with you.”
    Jason kissed Kait’s freezing forehead, and turned the heat all the way up. He floored the gas, heading straight back to Wal-Mart, to Sen. “Hold on tight!” It was a very bumpy ride, and Kait did hold on tightly. When Jason parked, Kait was asleep, as he entered with her in his arms.
    Sen was easily able to find them, and took Kait out of Jason’s arms, into his own. Putting his head against her chest, he smiled a bit, saying “She’s alive.” Sen then set her down on a bed, and as well as Jason’s jacket, pulled a comforter over her, causing her to snuggle up deeper into the bed. “I’ll take a look at her to see just what’s wrong, you can go wherever.”
    Jason, feeling uneasy, knew somebody like Sen would keep his procedures a secret, and left, but not before saying “If she dies, I’m holding you responsible.”
    Sen smirked at Jason, saying “That’s the way I’d risk it.”
    Jason then left, and Sen made a tiny cut on Kait’s cheek. It would heal in just a few seconds, and it would leave no scars, perfect. Wiping the blood, he tasted it, and analyzed the taste, a way of him knowing a person’s condition. He then pulled a vial out of his pocket, with a glowing green serum inside. Carefully, he poured the whole vial into Kait’s cut, just before it healed. “Now,” he said to himself. “You’re no use to us alive, but I won’t kill you myself. You, Jason, and two more, I need your help.” Sen then went to the intercom, and said “Jason, can I see you back here, it’s about Kait.”
    Jason was there before too long, and asked “What?”
    “I just had a look at her, and there’s limitless possibilities, but…Jason, it’s possible that she might actually be dying. I wouldn’t place money on it, but it’s still quite possible, maybe even likely.” Now to find out just who you are, Jason Sistalain. I’ve done my math, I even showed my work, now for a biology lesson, and she’s my newest lab rat.
    Jason had many guns and other weapons on him, as he said nothing, but looked at Kait. He then turned around, leaving. Removing the boards from the door, he opened it. The eye of the storm would be done with soon, and Kait’s life could go with it.

    Otaki parked where she saw an open door, and saw Jason. She got out of the truck, and ran into the Wal-Mart, wanting to get some shelter soon.
    Dran followed, asking Jason “Why the grim look?” He then saw Sen behind him, and quickly pulled out his sword, and brought out the blades in his glove, saying “And why’s that zombie standing there? Hey, pal, I don’t know who you are, but stay away from Otaki, and Kait, got it!?”
    Sen simply laughed, and said “If you even tried killing me, you’d be on the floor in three seconds flat. Don’t bother trying it, or I’ll kill you AND that sister of yours.”
    Dran ran up to him, holding the blade of the sword against his neck, the blades of the glove touching his chest, ready to stab his heart at a moment’s notice. “What was that!?” he asked, almost yelling.
    “Did I stutter?”
    “Hey, just because you’re a big badass back in Zombie America, that doesn’t give you ANY right to threaten Kait like that! I don’t care who you are, if you touch her, you’ll be going back to the graveyard where you ******** belong!”
    “Oh, did I pinch a nerve? I’m not TOO antagonizing, am I? ”
    Dran pushed his glove forward, a threat to be quiet. “Let me finish, dirt bag! She’s been through a ton already, leave Kait out of this, she doesn’t deserve to die, not by your filthy hands!”
    Sen’s knee flew up, into Dran’s stomach, causing him to double over. Before he even had the chance to get back up, Sen backhanded Dran, knocking him over. “Don’t touch me.” Brushing off his sleeves to a black shirt, he finished “Next time, it’s your life.”
    Dran stood up, and ran at Sen again, only to be hit square across the face by a roundhouse kick, and fell again. Damn, how’s this happening? I need some kind of advantage. He stood back up a second time, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth. “I’ll deal with you later, I don’t have time for this crap now.” With that, he left, deciding to train himself for future fights. I’m not strong enough, I need to be able to protect Kait from everything! What can I do to make it work out, besides run my way into hordes of zombies?
    “It was great to meet and beat you.” Sen stared at Jason with a glare that said ‘Don’t try anything, or else you’re next!’

    Megan was sitting right there by Kait. She heard Sen say Kait could be dying, and didn’t want to lose her friend, not right after meeting her.
    Kait then opened her eyes, now she was fine. “Hey, there, silly.” The two shared a friendly hug, as Kait got up, looking around. “Where’s Jason?”
    “Up front, I think he’s leaving.”
    Kait then shot out of bed, running to the front doors, hugging Jason tightly. “Don’t go, please don’t go away!”
    “I have to.” Jason then looked at Dran, and nodded, a signal to follow.
    As Jason and Kait stepped into the parking lot, Dran followed them, watching Jason step onto a motorcycle. “Kait, come on, we need to get back inside.” He put a hand on his sister’s shoulder.
    Kait threw the hand off, saying to Dran “No, I’m going with Jason!” Looking at Jason, she said, teary-eyed “Come on, take me with you. I don’t like not having you around, please take me?”
    “Dran, hold her back.”
    Dran gripped Kait’s arms, and restrained her in that way. He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t about to watch her run off in wild pursuit of Jason, of all people.
    “Kait…I’m sorry.” Jason then pulled the throttle, and sped away, not looking back.
    Kait was crying, and when Jason was out of sight, she did something she regretted. She wiggled around a bit to get some elbow room, and flung her foot up behind her, hitting Dran square between the legs, knocking him over easily. “Jason!” she cried, running away in his direction, but too slow.