If I could reverse the clock I would have, but I can't, and now things have changed. For the better, or the worse I can't tell. Yet.
+++++++++++++++++

I looked out the window, halfway naked, and took a slow breath. I had finally gotten a decent amount of sleep in, and I felt great, I had ditched the dirty clothes, and started to out on a new pair when I had gotten lost looking outside.

Pulling myself away from the view, I quickly slipped my gray t shirt on, and grabbed the vest. Everything else was on, and I wanted to get going, but that vest was just a little heavy to wear all day. I stretched out one more time, and then put the vest on overtop.

I started pulling boxes away from the door when I heard a noise outside. I went back over to the window, and glanced back at the rifle sitting next to my pack. I faced outside again when a red minivan came into view speeding down the road. It seemed to have taken a beating, and it started to swerve across the road violently.

Them idiots are going to crash.

I watched as it narrowly avoided the ditch, but in the process it swerved to far to the right, and started rolling down the road. It came to a halt after seven rolls, and I could hear muffled cries of pain from inside. I turned around, and started throwing boxes off of the door.

Managing to get most of them off I grabbed my pack, and twisted the door knob. Not bothered about the half pile still left I pushed it, so I could just slip through. I bounded down the stairs, and ran towards the front door, but stopped. I looked through the window, and saw the van sitting there.

I looked around, and nothing else showed up. I was nervous, but I didn't know why. I walked to the door, and unslung the rifle. I turned the knob, and pushed the door open, sweeping around the area with the rifle. Satisfied that I was safe from anything else I continued to the overturned van.

Smoke had started to fume from the engine that was still running, and a man had managed to pull himself out of the vehicle.

"Don't worry baby girl. I'm going to get you out. Everything's going to be all right. Just take deep breaths okay. I'm going to go get help." Said the man I'm a soothing tone to an unknown occupant in the car.

I stopped, and called out, "Right behind you. Friendly."

The man was completely startled by my presence, and had turned around. He starred at me with green eyes, and his face wrinkled as he squinted to keep the sun out of his eyes.

I walked up, and slipped the rifle on my back. I lied down on my belly, and looked into the back of the van to see a little girl dangling from a car seat.

"She the only person with you?" I asked hesitantly.

He looked at me, and then shook his head. "My wife was driving. One of our tires went flat."

"Why were you driving so fast?" I asked hurriedly, not wanting to waist time.

He just sighed, and I took the chance to drop the conversation. I moved to the other side, and found the woman pinned down, most likely dead. He just wants his daughter. I went to the back door, and found it to be in better shape than the others.

"This door might open if you try it." I said calling out to the man.

"I'm coming." He replied.

I watched as he limped around to this side, and tried the door. It wouldn't open at first, but then I helped him pull. It finally gave way, and she say there looking at us with an upside down face of relief.

"I'm going to try and unbuckle her. Watch my stuff." I said making up my mind.

He was to big to fit in there, and I was small enough to give her room to fall. I pulled off my pack, and set the rifle down beside it.

I'll just have to trust him.

I crawled in as fast as I could while avoiding the small fragments of glass all around. It was starting to get hot inside of the car, and I wondered if the engine was overheating. The girl looked at me timidly, and shied away from my body as I got closer.

I positioned myself underneath of her, and grabbed her body as I said, "You need to unblock your seatbelt. I'll catch you."

The small girl nodded, and reached back for the locking mechanism. With one small click she fell lightly onto my chest, and I waited for her to crawl out before I proceeded to. I pulled myself out as soon as the first flames started to lick at the front of the hood.

"Daddy! Mommy is still in there!" Cried the girl in a scared voice.

The man and I stared at each other for a few seconds before he said, "I know sweetheart. Now listen closely. We have to keep going, okay? We can't let those monsters get us. We keep going for mommy."

Tears streaked down both of there faces, and I quickly put my pack back on. There stuff caught on fire, and quickly went up into flames. Their faces Illuminated even more by the blazing fire as the child started to cry.

The man stood up and said, "Thank you. I don't know what would have happened if I would have lost both of them."

I just nodded, breathlessly, and then asked, "Were you heading for the city?"

He replied puzzled with, "Yes. Why?"

I responded back with caution in my voice, "If I were you I would avoid it. I almost had a run in with another group, but I don't know if there friendly or not."

He nodded and started to walk down the road he came from. I quickly trotted with them, and kept pace.

I was thinking when I offered him my thoughts, "You don't have any weapons?"

He looked at me and said, "Not anymore. They were all in that car."

I looked around, and pulled off the rifle from my pack. "Take this."

"What?" He said.

I extended my hand and said again, "You heard me. Take the rifle. You need it."

He stopped walking, and I stopped as well. He reached over and took the rifle, and I smiled.

"You'll need these as well." I said this while pulling three more magazines from my vest, and handing them to him.

He was absolutely baffled at my kindness, and I just said, "It's alright. I'll be fine. I think you have a little bit more to lose."

He just nodded, and we walked on in silence. We came to a plug in a road, and he went right, so I went left. I waved at him as he went out of view with his daughter.

There's still nice people.

I kept walking down the road that gave way to dirt soon after the turn. I kept walking, looking at the trees that had slowly started to creep up towards the side of the road. I listened to some birds that called out in the trees, and I almost forgot about the undead.

I stopped when something in the ditch caught my attention. I walked over, and crouched. Underneath a tangle of grass there was a small metal bar. I moved some more grass and found that it went into the ground.

Wasn't that important anyways.

I stood up, and looked around. I heard something rustle nearby in the leaves that had started to scatter the ground. Winter was coming soon, and the leaves had started to turn shades of colors.

A rotter came into view with a regular t shirt on that said, "I've got a death wish."

I chuckled at that as I pulled out the knife. It came forward, and stumbled down the bank of the road. I grabbed its arm, and pulled it down while bringing my arm back to lunge with the knife. My arm shuddered at the impact before it slid in easily, and a small burst of blood escaped from the wound, and painted my arm.

The rotter lay there, and I pulled the knife out of it's skull. I slid it into the sheath, and kept walking down the road. The sun was rising upwards, and I wanted to find somewhere to eat a meal in safety.

=================

Looks like Ethan still has some humanity in him. What do you think will become of those two?

What do you think will happen as Ethan is now down a weapon?

What will Ethan find next?

Find some answers in the next chapter!

Vote and comment please.