2036

15 years after the Fall

First Person View

Your Point Of View

You were running non-stop into the dark tunnel to see light shining up ahead for you to be close to getting out of the the tunnel. You were holding a broken shovel on your left hand to keep on running. You were hearing sounds of Virals chasing after you in the back, where you were running away. You jumped on a car and jumped to the other one to land on the ground to look behind you and looked back and kept on running. You saw a Viral about to hit you, but you reacted in time to duck under it to keep on running.

Half of the bridge was out, you jumped as far as you can for time to slow down for a few seconds. Time started again for you to grab onto the ledge of the concrete with your right hand, but your weapon slipped out of your left hand for you to see it fall down to the river. You sa more Virals jumping to you, but they slammed their heads on the concrete to slip off and fell to the bottom. You used both of your hands to climb up on the concrete to stand on the road while you dusted yourself off from the running you did while you were wearing your Pilgrim outfit.

You looked at the scenery to see nature taking back where it used to be. You were out of breath for you to hear someone clapping and cheering for you for you to look up on the hill.

Man: Whoo-hoo! You still got it!

You: You know this game used to be more fun!

Man: And you used to be younger!

You: And dumber!

Man: What matters is, you're still just as fast! Because a slow Pilgrim's-

You: Yeah, a dead Pilgrim... Yeah, I know I know.

Man: Get up here. I wanna show you something!

You then saw him waiting for you to join him on the hill. You went to go jump over a fallen tree branch to go and climb up the edge of a gap and keep on going to the man that was waiting for you. You climb jump and did all sorts of things to get up to the top where the man was waiting for you.

Man: Shit, man! You're still strong.

You then jump onto the ledge for the man to help you up and stand up to see an old friend you knew for a long time, it was your old friend, Spike.

You: Thanks. It's good to see you, Spike. How long has it been?

Spike: Far too long, but don't get all mushy on me, now. Come, I wanna show you something.

Spike went up ahead for you to follow him for the both of you to jog in the forest.

You: Where we going?

Spike: You'll see. It's incredible.

You: What's incredible?

Spike: Most Pilgrims don't last two, three years on the road. While you've been kicking around for what, four years now? And you're still alive.

You and Spike climbed up a ledge and pulled yourselves up to continue on.

You: So are you.

Spike: I know, but I'm fucking awesome.

You: Hah. Yeah, right, right.

Spike: Seriously. I wish I had as much energy as you.

You and Spike climbed up another ledge to pull yourselves up and to keep on going.

Spike: Got a new lead on Jane?

You: Nah. Trail went cold after New Paris.

Spike: Which route'd you take? Through Baines or Garry?

You: Eh. Baines. What a shit-hole. Some five rickety huts left and a ramshackle fence.

You and Spike saw a beehive on a log in front of you.

Spike: Look at that, a beehive full of honey. Can't let an opportunity like this go to waste.

You: (sighs) No way.

Spike: Look around. If we're lucky, there's chamomile growing here too.

You carefully went up to the beehive and harvest the honey in the jar you kept in your bag to put some in it. You fill up the jar with honey and placed it back in your bag. You looked around to pick some chamomile and placed them in your bag. You went on back to Spike and he started to talk to you.

Spike: You remember that old herbalist we helped escort to her village?

You: Oh, yeah, the one who had that saying, uh... Remember: chamomile and honey are gifts that keep giving.

Spike: Combine them and, lucky you, you might just go on living.

You got out your bag and squat down on the ground. You combined the chamomile and honey together to make a medicine to put on a bandage for safe-keeping on the road ahead. You closed your bag to put it back on and stood back up.

Spike: Come on. We're almost there.

Spike led the way for you to follow him from behind. Up ahead, you saw a gate that leads to the other side.

Spike: This is it. Come on.

Spike opened the gate halfway for him to squeeze through the gate while you did the same thing. You followed Spike for you to see a house like mansion that was all covered in some vines.

You: Wow.

Spike: Heh. Somebody had a nice crib.

Spike tried to open the front door, but it won't budge.

Spike: Dammit, locked. I'll try to get through here. You check the other side. Take anything we could use.

You: Sure.

You went on to the back where the garage door was and it was half open. You crouched down to go under the door and stand back up to be inside the house. You went into the side room to see a first aid cabinet. You banged on the door to open the first aid cabinet to see there was nothing.

You: Empty.

You went into the kitchen to use your Survivor Sense skill to survey around the area to see stuff you haven't searched yet. You opened a basket that was empty.

You: Nothing here.

You then opened a door to go inside an office room that had a vase and an old computer on the desk and a couch in here as well. But then the vase fell and broke for you to move out of the way.

You: What the...

You then turned back around to see that was some rats that knocked down the vase and broke it.

Spike: (from other room) Y/n! Everything alright?

You: (walks out of the room) Yeah... just rats.

Spike: Think it's time we parted ways.

You: Wh-Why?

Spike: I'm startin' to worry about you. And you know our saying; if you're starting to worry about someone, it means it's time to go.

Spike went to the other room for you to keep on looking around the kitchen to find anymore supplies. You found some leather, resin, soap and other stuff. You then found a poster that says...

THE LAST SPRING

PARTY

2023

You: Party? But by then, the GRE would have long since lost control of the virus.

You then saw a newspaper to read it.

5 YEARS LATER

WHO REMEMBERS HARRAN

That place where it first started, and now it happened all around. You went to the next room where Spike is to investigate more of the room. You saw an old wine bottle to inspect it.

You: I wonder how the wine tasted back then.

You put the bottle down to continue on searching the area. You saw record player and read the title on it.

You: 'Who do you Voodoo' Hm. Sounds familiar...

That sounded like a good song back in the day. You then searched a chest to open it to see that there was nothing in it.

You: Nada. Zip.

You went to the next room to open the double doors to see that there was a bartender place in here. There was skeletons everywhere that people used to have a party in this place before everything went bad. You went up to the bar place to see a journal that the previous person wrote down.

SORRY DAVE

GOODBYE

You: That's heartbreaking.

Spike: There's nothing like a party to celebrate the end of the world.

You: They died on their own terms. (turns around to Spike)

Spike: Let's hope we get that lucky, too. (sighs) I'll see what's upstairs. You check out the garden. Okay?

You: Okay.

You went out to the garden to check around the place that there was quite the view to look at the wilderness out here. You saw two skeletons together, then you saw a picture of a good couple that they took out of a polaroid camera. You picked up the picture and looked back at the skeletons to see that it was them.

You: At least they had each other.

You put the picture back where it was and look around a bit more. This place was making you sad that the people died here that everything happened since the virus started. You went to go see a turned over picture for you to put back where it was standing where there was a picture of man.

You then saw a note written down for you to pick up and started to read it.

You: 'Dearest Mary... I'm sorry I ran from you. They say that once the virus makes you turn, you're gone forever. That can't be true. I know you're still in there, underneath all that pain and disease. I'm coming to join you. No more running.' God...

You then put the note away in your bag to save it.

Spike: Y/n! Come here! Check this out!

You turned to see Spike at the balcony of the house where he was. You then went back into the house to see some stairs to walk up to the top of the outside balcony where Spike is. You then walked up to him to notice you were here.

Spike: Sit down, buddy.

You turned around to see a baseball bat next to the seat you were about to sit in.

Spike: For you.

You: A gift? (picks up bat)

Spike: A gift from the heavens, to be more accurate. I just found it - by the owner's dead body. May it be of more use to you.

You put away the baseball bat in your inventory to save it for later. You then looked to see Spike handing you a beer bottle.

Spike: Here.

You took the beer bottle and sat down in your seat to take a swig of the beer in the bottle, the taste of the beer was outdated.

You: It's gone flat.

Spike: (chuckles) Look at you and your sophisticated palate. Drink. (looks at the view) Who would've thought the end of the world would be so peaceful.

You: Yeah. At least until night falls.

Spike: True... (sighs) I wish Crane could have seen this.

You: (looks at Spike) Wha- Who?

Spike: Doesn't matter.

You and Spike went silent to enjoy the view and the trees surrounding the hills out in the distance. Spike then broke the silence for him to talk to you.

Spike: I tracked down that guy for you.

You: Wait, what. Wh- what guy? (drinks from bottle)

Spike: Quit pretending. You became a Pilgrim to track that fucker down. Hazel. I found someone who knows him.

You: Wait, whaaat?! And you're only telling me now?

Spike: When I tossed you a beer, thought you'd guess right away we were celebrating. The guy is in Villador... Supposedly he knows something about Hazel...

You: Villador...? So I'm that close, huh. Great. I-I got a favor to ask you. (pulls out a small package from bag) Will you deliver this to Garry? It's on your way... People don't like Pilgrims there. But they pay well.

Spike: And where do people like Pilgrims?

You: They're afraid of us. Everyone does their best to survive.

Spike: Maybe... But when something needs to be transported through hordes of infected, then suddenly they're knocking on our doors. Alright. But you owe me one.

You handed the package to Spike for him to put away in his bag.

You: Oh, not just one. (drinks from bottle) So what about that guy?

Spike: Well, I talked to him, over the radio. He didn't tell me his name. Sounds like he's got something to hide. (points to antenna) See that antenna on the hill? That'll help you contact the informer. He'll be listening to you at dawn on a frequency of 140.200MHz. Told him he'd hear from you soon.

You: What does he want in return?

Spike: Didn't say. But he didn't sound like the kind of guy who does things for free.

You: I don't think that kind of guy exists.

Spike: What? What about me?

You: You're an old fart who likes racing me and makes me ask around about his crazy girlfriend!

Spike: Hey, hey, hey, she's not crazy. Jane's just maybe, hmm, well... a little hot-headed... And she's always getting herself into trouble, but if you could get a load of her...

You: Ha, whoa! Alright... still too early in the evening for that sort of talk.

Spike: Eyes. I was gonna say eyes. Beautiful, steely, huge...

You: Never heard anyone get so worked up about silver eyes. What is she, a silver eyed warrior? Ha, I highly doubt that.

Spike: Because you don't know shit about the world. Let alone women.

You: Eh, you're probably right...

Spike: (gets up from seat) I'm telling you. I'll finally find Jane. We'll set up a house. We're gonna live there. No one's gonna drive us out. And I'll stop wandering like a moron. (drinks from bottle)

You: (gets up to join Spike) I'll drink to that.

You and Spike toasted your bottles together and drank the rest of it. You and Spike finished the bottles and threw the bottles away into the pool.

Spike: And that Hazel. What's his deal? Is he family?

You: No, not at all.

Spike: Then why are you looking for him? Will you tell me sometime?

You: Yeah... Yeah, one day.

Spike: Well, my time's up.

You and Spike shook hands.

You: So when will I see you again, huh? In another two years?

Spike: Maybe... Take care, man. I hope you find that Hazel guy. Or whoever you're looking for. (pats your left shoulder) And remember, 140.200MHz. At dawn. The guy is waiting for you.

Spike went off his way to leave you to go your separate ways. You will miss him, but in due time, you will see him again. You jumped off from the balcony to land on your feet safely, it wasn't too high to hurt you. You went down the path to open the gates, but it only opened just a bit. You squeezed through the gates and went to the edge of the cliff. There was lake nearby and below, it looks you will have to jump off and land in the water, if is deep enough, that is.

You then jumped off the edge to keep your arms crossed and kept your legs straight and hit the water in time for it to be deep enough for you to survive the fall. You swam up to the surface and started to swim to the land and get out of the water to dry yourself off from being wet.

You went up to the boat house to see a Biter bursting through the door and onto the ground to get back up. It was slow, but still dangerous.

You: Biters...

You got out the bat Spike gave you and used on the Biter to bash it's head three times for it be dead from impact you did to it. Another one came out of nowhere so you did the same thing like you did to the other one. Bashed it's head three times and it's dead. And the last one came out from the boat house and you did the same thing to it. Batter up to the Biters.

You then went on to proceed to the antenna to get to it before sundown and you do not want to know what comes out during the night. You saw a bus that was tumbling down on a  bridge. You looked inside the bus to see it was climbable for you to start climbing inside the bus and went on the spots that you can climb in the bus. After a bit of climbing, you climbed out of the bus and down on the highway.

You continued on your way to the antenna to see a tunnel. You saw more Biters inside to avoid the sunlight that they don't like. You climbed on the bus to avoid them and went along the path to not alert them, other wise all you can eat buffet to them. You quietly went on top of a few vehicles to avoid the Biters to get out of the tunnel. After a few sneaking around, you finally got out of the tunnel to get some sunlight, but the sun was setting, you have to hurry up to the antenna.

You went up the hill to climb up the structures of the way up to get up to the antenna on the mountains. You climbed up a few more obstacles and saw a zipline. You jumped on the zipline using the bat to get across and landed on the ground to continue on forward to the antenna. You went through a cave to get out easily to see another Biter up here. You then kicked the Biter off the cliff with your right leg off the cliff and fell for it's death. You then went on a log on that connects to the edges of the cliffs to keep your balance in place.

After that, you got off the log and jumped on a rope to swing across the mountain and jumped to the other side.

You: Almost there.

You then perform a high jump to reach the edge and climbed up to do another high jump to reach the other ledge and pulled yourself up. You notice that the sun was going down and almost about to get dark.

You: Ah, it's already dark. It's time to hide somewhere for the night. It won't get any better than this.

You then walked to the path that leads to the antenna. You saw an open window that should get you inside. You jumped up to the edge and climbed up to go inside through the of the building to try to find a safe room in here.

You: The broadcast station should be here somewhere...

You searched around the area to find the broadcast station in the building to contact the informant in the morning. You searched for supplies, like leather, scraps, and all sorts of stuff in the building. You went to a room to see tracks in here. Someone was here before you. You saw a dresser to see that it was moved before it was here. You went up to it to push it out of the way.

You: Okay, let's give it a try.

You moved the dresser out of the way that was blocking the way. After pushing it out of the way, you squeezed through the boards to get inside the room to see it was the broadcast station.

You: This is it. The broadcast station. Gotta start the generator.

You exited the building to get outside to start the generator in the garage. You then started lift the shutters up, but it won't budge. You then heard a noise coming from inside.

You: What the...?

You turned around to see the Biters coming out of their hiding spot for you to continue to lift up the shutters. They just won't budge. You stopped what you were doing and looked to see a few more Biters, but then a special infected jumped out from the window and landed in the bushes.

You: What the hell is that?!

You saw it's head peaking out, but then it went back down in the grass. The infected then jumped out by hopping on the Biters shoulders and onto another and jumped so high in the air that you saw the full reveal of the infected.

You quickly moved out of the way to avoid it's attack and got ready for a fight with this thing. You got out the bat Spike gave you and you started to swing it at the infected to put a few hits on it. The infected jumped away from you and you saw more Biters coming at you for you to kill a few of them. Now, your primary objective is to deal with the infected that you saw. It was about to pounce at you for another attack, bit you dodged it's attack to get up to it and bashed it hard straight in the head to kill it and it's dead.

You: Phew. That was close.

You put away the bat to get to the shutters and lift it up fully to open it to see the generator inside. You went up to it to pull cord a few times to get the generator working to get the power on to the building. You heard music playing form inside the building and you went inside the building to close the doors behind you to go up the stairs to unlock the door from the other side and opened and closed the door behind you.

You turned off the music to not attract any attention from anywhere around you and just have some peace and quiet. You went through the same room and squeeze through the door where the broadcast station is. You saw there was a UV light in here for the ones that roam at night hated it.

You saw a bed in here that you really needed some rest after that fight with the infected. You lied down on the bed to start getting some sleep to wait until morning to contact the guy Spike was talking about.

You closed your eyes and started to sleep on the bed and wait until morning.

To be continued