Brice watched in horror as his nightmare replayed. The three raced back towards the ladder to their apartment. Screams surrounded Brice as the hoard closed in. Looking down from a birds-eye view, Brice watched as he saw Brandi carrying Kyler down the alleyway. "Pay attention you idiot. She's making her move!" Brice's double took the lead as the monstrous Behemoth and his hoard of Locus howled in a hunger-induced fury. Thousands of smaller Locus were following behind, screaming and running towards them.

"Tell her to climb the ladder first!" Brice screamed as the Locus narrowed the gap. "I can outrun them. Make a lap and come back, don't let her trick you." His throat felt raw, and his heart ached. He was forced to watch the scene unfold again, and he knew how it would end.

Then it happened. Brandi looked up where Brice was watching and flashed her devilish grin. The smile grew wider as Brice's ghost quickly climbed up the ladder. "Look down," Brice begged in dismay, tears filling his eyes as he watched what he knew would happen. While Brice's image continued up the ladder, the real Brice saw Brandi waiting at the bottom, grinning up at him. "Please Brandi, for once. Just climb up the ladder and bring him back to me. Please..." Maniacal laughter seemed to echo all around him as he watched her turn and race towards her vehicle waiting in the alley.

"No," Brice whimpered, looking at his ghostly image. The pain in his eyes was reflected, and it crushed him. The real Brice watched as his reflection pulled out a pistol and aimed it at his head.

Bang,

The world around him began to fade, and darkness claimed his sight. Nausea mixed with pain gored him as his sense of self began to fade. The missing sense disoriented Brice. He felt lost and alone in the darkness. Taking an unstable step, he seemed to walk off the invisible ledge he had been perched on and began to fall towards the hoard below. The creatures seemed to scream in delight as their next meal approached from above. A small hand seemed to pierce the darkness as Brice fell, then another and a third before hundreds of hands reached up for him. Their teeth gnashed in desperate hunger as they waited for Brice to land. His heart started to pound, and his mind began to race as his death drew near.

The second his back touched the first of the Locus below, he felt their jagged fingernails rip into his back. Pain shot through him as he felt their greedy hands and hungry teeth tear him apart. Their feast had begun. There was no escape. All that remained was to hit the ground and be ripped apart. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. The loss of Kyler left him empty, and he wanted nothing more than to become nothing.

Then his body hit the ground.

Brice's eyes shot open as he woke from his nightmare. His bedroom came into view, the same painted ceiling, not a Locus in sight. His skin felt clammy, his breath ragged, and his heart beating faster than it ever had before. He was still alive, and Brice felt a cool tear rolling down his cheek.

His heart ached as his mind processed the terrible nightmare. It had been weeks since the kidnapping had taken place, but Brice couldn't shake the nightmare. "I miss you," He whispered to himself, grief washing over him as he tried to calm his racing heart.

Sunlight was already beginning to creep into the bedroom, and he tried to forget the nightmare as he slowly sat up. The room was cold. Winter was drawing ever nearer, meaning the bedroom would get even colder as time passed. The entire building had cooled considerably since the day of Kyler's kidnapping, and the added holes from the Behemoth's temper tantrum gave an extra chill to the room as the winds aired out the floors below him.

Standing up, he felt the icy cold carpet rip away any traces of sleep from his body. Grabbing his shirt and jacket from the bedside, he quickly put them on, then grabbed his worn-down jeans from the edge of the bed. He pulled them up and felt the cool material of his clothing sap the heat from his body as his limbs tried to adjust to the brisk feeling. Slipping into his socks and shoes, he quickly tied the laces while doing his morning stretches.

Heading towards the kitchen, Brice walked through the open hole where a door had been. Looking at the ground inside, he saw what remained of the door stacked up in smaller pieces near a makeshift fire pit he had created using a few pieces of angled metal.

"Oh Kyler, what a mess I've become," Brice mumbled, icy bitterness chilling him more than the weather as he made his way towards a metal table with his remaining food. Looking at the metal cans, he noticed the false wood underneath them on the desks. All of the wooden objects had been cut up and used for firewood, leaving him only metal objects in the kitchen. I'll need to take out another door tomorrow. He thought as he looked at a few cans of beans and the single can of fruit cocktail that sat away from the rest of his meager food supply.

Reaching for a can of beans, he saw some condensation on the window outside. A small sigh broke his lips as he took off the bloody paper label reading refried beans in smeared letters. The paper was coarse and had become rigid after it had soaked up the infectious blood on the grocery store's floor where Kyler had injured his ankle.

Making his way towards the firepit with the cold metal can in hand, Brice grabbed a small book of matches sitting near the firepit. He carefully distributed his weight down on one of the ancient chairs so that it only creaked lightly. Well, here's to another day of foraging. He thought as he put down his can and reached for a small piece of kindling. Opening his matchbook revealed that he only had three matches left.

Looking at the can of beans, then his meager supply of wood, he let out a depressed sigh and put the kindling back down, dropping the paper beside it. Cold beans are good enough, I guess. He picked up the can and reached for the can opener that always sat by his chair. Clamping the opener on the can, he heard the seal break and began to twist the device as it spun the can around. When he had finished cutting the top, he tenderly pulled the lid off and looked around for his spoon.

Seeing it on the table across the room, he rolled his eyes and stuck his fingers into the cold can of beans. A shiver rolled down his body as he brought the brown mush to his lips. Just like grandma used to make, He chewed the mashed-up food, and his stomach seemed to grumble in protest at the cold food before releasing the knot that had been tightening since he woke up. Dipping his fingers back into the can, he brought another bite to his lips, forcing it down for the sake of nutrients.

When he had finished eating the beans, he stood up and brought the can to a small container of water. Washing the can in the mostly murky water, he cleaned out the remaining bits of beans. Ignoring the chill of the water, he walked out of the room with the can in hand as he headed for the map room. A few small piles of cans had been organized in piles. He walked over to the smaller stack and put it down next to other empty ones, ignoring the smell of stale food and mold that seemed to permeate the room.

Walking out of the painted room, he made his way left towards the ladder room. Inside was a single ladder worn by time, the duffel bag, and his empty go-bag. Heading towards the duffle, he reached down to grab the ladder, but his body seemed to scream in protest as he leaned down. Leaning instead to touch his toes, he stretched out his back as he thought about where to scavenge. Most of the small stores he'd picked clean long ago. The houses that hadn't been barricaded had already been cleaned out, leaving room for Locus to move in.

Sooner or later, I'll need to go into one of the big stores. There has to be food there. An anxious sigh escaped Brice's lips. But the creatures inside will be thinking the same when I walk in their doors. Standing up straight, he snagged the duffle, then made his way back to the bedroom. Ignoring the heartache of seeing the empty room, he pushed the pillow out of the way and grabbed his hunting knife.

Sheathing it on his side, he turned around and made his way towards the exit door. Unlocking the bolt lock, he pushed the door open and started outside. The early morning wind slapped him as he stepped outside, sending shivers down his spine as he pulled his jacket closer to him. Shutting the door behind him, he pulled the jingling keys from his jacket pocket and quickly relocked it. Ignoring the sound as he pocketed the keys, he made his way over the creaky roof. When he reached the fire escape, he remembered the titan-sized Locus that punched holes through the wall. The rungs leading down were smashed where its fist connected, but the rest of it still hung in place.

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he started down the emergency escape ladder, listening as it squeaked beneath his weight. The cold metal quickly stole the feeling from his fingers as he made his way down. Eventually, his fingers went numb, making Brice swear under his breath as they began to tingle. When he made it to the ground, he listened for any signs of danger as he squeezed his fingers together to try and regain feeling.

Hearing nothing, he looked to his right to see the alleyway where Brandi had fled with Kyler on her shoulders. Anger trickled through him as he turned around and made his way towards a market he had remembered seeing on the map. Walking quickly and with purpose, he rushed towards the store, his breaths coming in small puffs of air as he tried not to alert anything to his presence.

The air was cold, making Brice swear under his breath again. The pathway in front of him seemed empty, but the Locus's perception was better in the cold. The lower temperature sharpened their sight as heat signatures grew brighter in cold weather. Keeping low and near the sidewalk, Brice passed destroyed cars, ignoring the blood and keeping a safe distance away from any corpse that lay inside.

As the morning dragged on, Brice's mind began to wander. Images of Brandi torturing Kyler passed through his mind, breaking his heart further. I swear, if I find her, I don't care how strong she is. I'm going to wring her damn neck myself.

He saw a few older businesses come into view, and he remembered seeing a strip mall on the map. All the windows had been broken in, but a few of them looked like they had recently been boarded up in defense. Some of the barricades looked fresh, while others looked like they had rotted long ago. The boards made Brice pause a moment, his mind focusing on them as he looked around the general area in front of him.

I haven't seen defensive barricades covering one-story buildings since the beginning of the outbreak. Some of those boards seem newer too. They haven't greyed at all. I wonder if somebody is trying to live on the ground floor. The sound of a shotgun cocking pulled him from his thoughts, setting his mind ablaze.

"You have three seconds to esplain why you're on my land before I blow off your head, trespasser!" Came a dainty male voice that took Brice by surprise.

Taking a deep breath, Brice slowly put his hands up and turned around. "I'm not trying to trespass," he paused when he saw a young man no older than twenty looking back at him with a twelve-gauge pressed to his shoulder from five feet away. The man had light brown hair and freckles covering his face. His thin, malnourished body seemed to highlight the sharpness of his cheeks and agile-looking body.

"Mhm, thas what they all say. What you got in that there bag of yours? Planned on taking some of my food?" The man asked, waving his shotgun over at the duffle, then back towards Brice. A strange feeling of Déjà vu crossed his mind as he remembered how he met Kyler. The moment was short-lived as he looked at the young man. A few awkward seconds paused as Brice looked at him. "Hey, why are you being so quiet? You deaf or something?" The man took a deep breath and spoke a bit louder. "What's in the bag?"

Shaking his head again, scattering his thoughts once more, Brice turned his full attention to the scrawny man. "I don't have anything right now. You can look for yourself if you want. I was going to look for food before you rudely interrupted me with that gun of yours. I was just surprised by the boards on the first floor. Most people learned that the single-story houses were death traps since the zombies can swarm the doors from more than direction."

"That's nice 'n' all. I still want you to open the bag though, slowly. If you ain't a looter, then you're just a trespasser, and I might be able to let that slide, if you apologize."

Disbelief flooded through Brice as he glared at the young man. "Apologize? Are you broken in the head kid? I'm walking on public roads. This ain't your property. Besides, I told you before. The bag is empty. There's nothing in it." he paused for a second, a risky idea flashing through his mind as he slowly unslung the bag. "If you wanna look so badly, here you go." He said as he tossed the bag up towards him. The young man looked up towards the bag while Brice rushed forward and ripped the shotgun from the young man's hands.

"Hey, give that back. That ain't yours!" The boy exclaimed as the bag landed gently on the ground beside him. Brice looked at him in shock. The shotgun was extremely light. When he cocked it, he found no shells inside.

"What the hell are you trying to pull kid?" Brice spat back, tossing the gun down. "I could have killed you!" He watched as the scrawny face in front of him twisted into fear.

"I'm sorry, I—I haven't eaten since yesterday. I hoped that maybe you had something to eat in the bag..." A rumbling sound echoing in the silence seemed to confirm his story.

Brice smirked at the young man as he reached menacingly for his knife and pulled it from his sheath. "See, if you want to intimidate somebody, you have to have an actual way to kill them in case your threat doesn't work. An empty shotgun is a nice idea since nobody can tell if it's loaded or not, but a knife. You don't need to wonder if it's loaded." He explained, trying not to laugh as he toyed with the man.

"I'm sorry, okay, please don't kill me, I was trying to find something to eat. Please, I'll do anything you want. Just let me live!" The man begged, his hands clasping together as he fell to his knees.

"Oh get off the floor. I wasn't really going to try and kill you," Brice growled, his amusement quickly fading as he looked at the small man. "I'll tell you what, I'll take my bag, and your crappy excuse for a weapon, then I'll leave, no harm no foul. You can go about your business, and I'll go about mine. Sound good? Good," He stated, sheathing his knife without hesitation.

The young man reached for the bag before standing up, defeat clearly written on his face. "Fine, you can keep my only weapon, and your stupid empty bag."

Reaching for the bag, Brice quickly slung it over his shoulder. "Hey kid, don't beat yourself up. If it were anybody else, you probably would have gotten away with it." He adjusted the shotgun's shoulder strap the kid hadn't actually used and glared at him. "Maybe next time you can get a more gullible person to scam. Now get out of my way."

"Can I come with you?" The man asked suddenly, taking Brice by surprise. "I promise I won't be a burden, you can show me how to be scary, and I can help you scavenge for food!"

"No," Brice deadpanned as the hopeful look on the man's face crumbled. "I don't play well with others."

"Oh, come on, mister, please. I promise I won't let you down. I'm sure I can help you out, I could stand watch or something, anything." The man begged, pleading with his eyes.

"I said no, so scram kid," Brice answered, turning around and walking away as he did so.

The man snorted, and his footsteps quickly followed after Brice's. "You can't stop me from following you. I'm probably faster than you too. This is still a free country, even if it's an apocolypsy."

"It's pronounced apocalypse you moron," Brice responded with a growl. "Do whatever you want, just go away. Celebrate your freedom by trying to find food."

"I think I'll use my freedom to follow you." the man answered, his footsteps beginning to match Brice's. "I won't get in the way, I promise."

"Whatever kid, I'm not going to give you anything I find. This is a dog-eat-dog world, and unless you want to suck my dick, I'm not giving you squat." Brice retorted, his annoyance becoming clear.

"I can do that..." The man said softly, his voice weaker than before.

Brice felt guilt instantly tie a knot in his stomach. He understood the position he had put the man into by accident, and it made him feel sick. "It was an expression kid. I don't want you doing anything like that with me. I'm taken, and I don't need another mouth to feed."

"No please, I can do it." The man's desperation pierced Brice as he spoke, worsening his guilt. "Just get us somewhere safe first, and I'll—"

"Stop it." Brice spat back, his guilt turning to anger. "Giving your body away shouldn't be something you do to survive. I sure as hell won't force you to try either. That's not something I would ever be okay with...I know what it's like to have no other choice. I have no intention of putting you in that position."

"Then how am I going to survive?" The man asked miserably, his voice starting to crack.

Overwhelming guilt washed over Brice as he pictured the angry glare Kyler would have given him for even suggesting to leave the man behind. A long sigh broke the silence as he turned around to face the young man. "You ask people for help, and you don't point an empty gun at their face."

The man's face lit up as he looked at Brice. "Will you, help me? Please?"

Nodding his head to the side, he indicated to the man to follow him. Brice turned around without a word and started off. As Brice imagined the irritation in Kyler's eyes for being so mean, the young man followed after him. "Look kid, I'm not doing this because I want to. Kyler would be mad if he ever found out I turned down somebody who needed help. Nothing else is happening here."

"Where is this Kyler? I want to meet him too. Is it safe there? Are there others in your group besides you two? I'm Chance by the way. What's your name?" The man quickly asked, questions flooding from his mouth.

"Kid!" Brice hissed, his guilt beginning to fade as the young man's voice came to a halt. "Stop talking. You're going to alert every damn Locus to our location."

"Shutting up now," Chance whispered. A fewseconds passed as they walked down the road in cold silence. Then Chance took anaudible breath, making Brice sigh. "Can I have my gun back?"

---------------------------------------------------------------

Well that's all you get for free! ;) If you want to support me, you can buy the book on Amazon! 

-Asted!

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