I shake my head. I cannot believe my eyes. If I just saw, what I think I just saw, I must have died and ascended to heaven because that's the coolest shit I have ever seen. I quickly put the truck into park before pulling out the keys and putting them in my jacket pocket. I reach over into the glove compartment, pull out a hand-gun, take the safety off and put it into my holster. I peak through the window and the puffballs are all huddled together. They don't seem to be going anywhere fast. I can't help but smile.

I take my yellow crowbar out from under the seat before stepping out of Reg. I look both ways and listen in. No pounding of footsteps nor snarls rip through the silence of the abandoned farmer fields.

I softly close the door as I slowly approach the small golden puffballs. Their mews grow stronger and stronger with each step I take. Once I get close enough, three sets of golden eyes stare up at me. Puffy fur on their back stands tall like a porcupine's quills. Their fur is spotted with black dots placed sporadically. Two black thin lines from their tear ducts stream down to their jaw that highlights their feline features. This is the best day of my existence. They don't look threaten by my presence, just very curious. I giggle as I bend down and put out my hand, "Holy fuck! Fuckin' cheetahs!" One of them stumbles over to me, obviously not in full control of his limbs yet. I smile and wait for him to come over.

Horrific snarling comes from within the long blades of grass of the overgrown fields. I pull back as does the friendly cub, he goes back to his siblings. I swiftly turn around and raise my gun. A stumbling corpse emerges from the depths of the greenery. Its bulging wild eyes twitch in rage as fresh blood drips down its gray waxy skin. Flies swarm around it as if it was an all you can eat buffet. Orange fungus that fades to yellow, to green laces its neck. It sways back and forth just like the corpse. Its ripped jean overalls and torn white blood-stained shirt looks as if they must have been a farmer before they got bitten. I squint my eyes, it's covered in golden fur. Realization hits me. Oh, oh no. Did this poor excuse of a corpse just murder their mother?

The corpse staggers up the side of the ditch and onto the highway towards me. I take my crowbar and grip it firmly. It is only one. I don't need to use my gun for this. Besides, it looks like a Wanderer anyway, the only thing they do is stumble around and grab anything worth eating. They even eat rocks which makes no sense to me. A gun shot here would attract the Sprinters, if there are any hiding. If there are, there would be more than I would know what to do with. The corpse's lips turn sharply into a smile before it steadies itself and lunges at me at full speed.

I whip out my hand gun and pull the trigger. A bullet goes straight between its eyes and out through the back of their skull. It freezes in mid-motion before it collapse to the highway.

My heart begins to pound against my chest, did that Sprinter just trick me into thinking it was a Wanderer? What the fuck. What the fuck? What the hell is this bullshit? They're evolving?

A constraint growl comes from the overgrown greenery. I slowly go over with my raised gun, looking for any sudden movements. I get close enough and it's an adult cheetah. Its stomach has been ripped open as blood pools all around the body. The agony of its cries shatters my heart like glass shards scattered in a dark empty room. I go over to the suffering animal; bite marks are sporadically all over her. Saliva from the undead has caused patches of fur to come flaking off. She continues to cry.

The edges of my mouth turn towards the ground. I put my hand on her head and her eyes slowly begin to close, she twitches in pain. "I'll take care of your cubs. I promise." Her golden eyes look up at me before they go blank and her body lies still amongst the grass. Beside her a beautiful yellow flower blossoms, I pull it from the ground before placing it on her head.

My heart drops deep into the abyss of my stomach. She's gone. I look back at the puffballs and they have left their spot on the highway to come to the edge of the road. They look down at me with somber eyes and then their mother's corpse.

Within the depths of the farmers field I hear the rustle of grass. Sweat begins to bead on my forehead as numerous worst-case scenarios flash before my eyes. I quickly run towards Reg. I pull open the tail gate and snatch out a dead rabbit I couldn't bring myself to cook yesterday. The three cubs come towards me wagging their tails.

I coax them into the truck on the passengers' side, lock the door behind them before I get into my side. They all feast on the rabbit as I lock my door. I start up Reg, pulling out of the ditch and back onto the highway. In my rearview mirror I see a couple of Sprinters chasing after us. My heart beats with the intensity of a hundred drums.

I press on the gas and we are suddenly going 100 miles per hour and none of them are in my rearview mirror anymore.

I look over at the three cubs on my passenger side, they don't like any older than two months. I loved the nature channel before the world descended into chaos. I know they eat meat once they turn six weeks, so it's good that their mother got them this far along, otherwise I wouldn't have known what to do. And Cheetahs also happen to be my favorite animal, I loved them so much I did a whole research project on them when I was in third grade.

I let out a breath as I continue down the never ending straight highway, just a few more hours of driving, and I'll find a place to stay for the night and hopefully keep these cubs safe.