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chapter one — "Loved the rock wall growing up,"

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫:
‧⁺˚*‧☾ 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐲 ☽‧*˚⁺‧

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Two dark dirty cars pulled off the shoulder of the road. The truck that Warren had been drive was officially out of gas. Ash watched in the bed of one of the trucks as everyone got out to examine the vehicle. Addy held onto her spiked bat, the same one that was held to her throat. Closely followed behind her was Mack, her boyfriend. Warren and Garnett were the ones in charge. Garnett mostly took the lead on things, but always checked and discussed this with her. Doc was the one who suggested Ash join them, trying to talk everyone into agreeing. He was nice and friendly, she wondered what made that personitaly stick after all these years. The opposite of Murphy. Doc explained to her that the reason he looked so sickly was because he had been bitten eight times. His blood was some type of cure, which she was doubtful was an actual thing. Cassandra had her exchange a few words, but that was it. Leaving him, stood next to her in the bed. She didn't know his name, and he didn't speak much or at all really. But damn was he an amazing shot.

"Well, that was fun."

"Ha-ha! Out of gas,"

"Running on fumes,"

Ash climbed out of the back of the truck pulling her black hood down, but keeping her mask covering her face as the truck was smoking. "Alright, so it looks like you got a flat," Warren announced, kicking the tire. Doc was already out from the driver's seat and walking towards the back of the truck.Ash had handed him the jack, as she had gotten it out when she had. He smiled sweetly at her and nodded his head, giving a silent thank you.

"Heads up, we got company!" Mack announced as the sound of motorcycle engines became louder and louder.

"That's right. Keep rolling and we all live to see another day." Warren said in a calm voice, keeping her eyes on the two guys on the motorcycles. Watching them completely drive away before turning back to the smoking truck. "Alright, let's do this quick,"

Taking each of the bolts off the tire, nothing looked wrong with the tire. "Alright. Doesn't look flat, but it won't...turn." She struggled twisting the wrench.

"We ran over some fun stuff," Doc remarked.

"Okay. Well, help me get it off and let's see what's going on." Warren finally got the last of bolts off and removed the tire. Revealing a zombie lodged up under the axel. She was snarling and snapping at them, her mangled hand trying to reach out for any of them. "What are you waiting for?! Kill it! Kill it!" Murphy shouted terrified at the sight of it.

Ash looked between both the zombie and Murphy. Even though a zombie snarling and reaching for you is quite scary in itself. It was stuck. Alongside being clearly outnumbered, by people to zombie. She pulled out one of her small but sharp knives from her back pocket. Throwing it right between Doc and Warren, the blade landed right in the center of her skull. Four years means the zombies bodies have rotten enough to allow a small knife to do the same damage a large one could. "It was pulling left," Warren, who was getting up off the ground, gave her a small nod of approval. Dusting the dusty dirt off her hands onto the side of her pants and walking towards a clearing.

"Even after all this. This is still beautiful," She muttered as the small group looked over at the view of the city. "Take a good look, might not be back for a while." Garnett stated.

"So long New York," Addy remarked, holding up her small gray and black go-pro up towards the city line. "See ya in the next life." Murphy added before turning his back and walking back to the truck. Where Ash was currently cleaning the knife she had just used, and the guy her age was scanning the surrounding area.

🌁

𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚞𝚜 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝙹𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚢

"So, what's your name, kid?" Doc asked the guy standing next to him. Glancing around the tall wall of smashed broken cars. Ash had climbed her way up them and was currently standing at the very top. "Ten thousand," He answered. She frowned her brows looking down at the two of them. "That's a number," Both their attention looked up at her, "What's your's?" He asked, holding a knife in his hand.

"Ash," She said before hopping onto a lower level of stacked cars. The two stared at each one another for a moment. She studied his outfit, noting the rubbed bottoms of shoes used for shoulder patting. His shirt and pants were both a gray camo print. She could stop the ever so slight bulges on his sides where knives were tucked away. Looking back up at him seeing he was doing the same thing to her. Her hood bunched up at the base of her neck, her fabric mask doing the same. Except she took more care and thought into the different places she hid her knives.

"Well, I suppose you'd have to. Does it mean anything?" Doc asked, looking between the two of them.

"How many zombies I'm going to kill." He replied as if it was a normal answer. "Well, that's a whole lot of zombies," Doc said with raised white brows. "A bit optimistic aren't we?" Ash remarked with a slight smirk.

"I'm already on 1,055."

"Damn!" Doc exclaimed looking between the two again with uttered shock. "So, what happens when you get to 10,000?"

10k shrugged his shoulders glancing at the white haired man before finishing up looking through the current car. "Change my name."

"To what? 20,000?"

"Jeff." He replied side stepping over to the next car. "I like the name Jeff." He started turning his attention to the car. There was another stuck zombie. Held in its place by its seatbelt. "Ah, shut up." He raised the knife that he held in his hand and piked the Z.

Ash looked around the two, checking behind them before moving along. Climbing over a few different cars that were angled the wrong way. Holding her arms out on the weaker and shaker parts of the decaying cars, trying to keep her balance. Coming up on the others hearing a few details that made it obvious they were talking about Black Summer.

Black Summer was a hell of a year.

She never knew why or even who came up with the name 'Black Summer' when it lasted a whole year. But it was one year everyone agreed on was a living nightmare to experience. Ash herself almost died four times, and those were the times she could remember. She was looking for her sister, Violet. Losing her six months earlier she was growing desperate and pushed herself beyond her limits. Causing her to black-out countless times. It still amazed her how she even survived. Food was sparse, and if you grew your food it died that year. Water was the only thing easy to find, but if you did it was normal surrounded by zombies. But the end of Black Summer was her most active. She had wondered her way down towards the Mexican border and worked for the cartel that took over. Doing the dangerous runs that no one in their right mind would do. In exchange she would get food and water.

"Hey, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa." The voice broke her out of her thoughts realizing a man had stumbled out of the pile of cars.

The brunette man's hands were up as the group pointed each of their weapons at him. "Hold on. It's not a Z," Warren announced walking up towards the guy.

"Peace. No bites here." He stated holding hands up.

Ash slowly and quietly jumped her way down before running up and tackling him. Pinning him down with her legs. Grasping his wrist and pinning them above his head with one while the other grabbed a knife and held it to his throat. "Check him," She said, starring daggers down at him.

Mack took one side and Warren checked the other side of him. "100% alive." He said staring right back at her. "Not for long." She muttered knowing he fully heard her.

"What happened to your friend?" Garrentt asked and it all clicked for Ash that this was one of the motorcycle dudes. "I'll tell you all about him only if you get your guard dog off of me." He glanced up towards Garrentt, who whistled softly. Rolling her eyes before reluctantly standing up, swinging her butterfly knife shut. Watching him stand up and dust himself off, "If you wanted to be on top of me all you had to do was ask." She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, "Bite me."

"What happened to your friend?" Garrentt repeated and the guy turned back towards him holding his hand back up, "Turns out he had other friends of low morals. Took my ride." Warren took a knife from his pocket, "Those thieves should be shot."

"You should choose better friends," Cassandra spoke up. His eyes trailed over to her and for a second she saw recognition on his face. But he quickly covered it, poorly. "Good advice."

"What can we do for you? One peaceful group of humans to one lone traveler?" Warren said sarcastically while still pointing her gun at him. "Could use a lift. Sure don't want to spread the night out here alone." He replied and Murphy stepped forward shaking his head, "Sorry. We ain't running a taxi service."

"Which way are you headed?" Garrentt asked, causing both Murphy and Ash to look at him like he was crazy. "Any direction but back. Word is there's a horde on the move south on the New York side. I see you're scrounging for gas. You know like we used to say, ass, gas, or grass." He replied with a smug smile.

"Your ass is grass," She corrected, crossing her arms.

He laughed, and she swore it sent an unnerving shiver down her spine. "Nobody rides for free. I know where you could fill up."

"Now would be the time to share that information." Garnett ordered sternly. "A place called Jersey Devil Refinery. Maybe five miles off, just off the turnpike." He informed the group. "How do you know there's gas there?" Warren questioned as Ash looked over her shoulder to see 10k and Doc standing nearby. "Got overrun day number one. All the tanks are still full, just rusting away." She shifted her weight from one leg onto the other. Looking over towards Garnett, see he was thinking about his reply. And he was probably going to agree. "Allright, take us to this refinery. And if there's gas there like you say, you can ride with us to the next outpost."

"You won't be sorry." He responded moving towards his knife that Warren had stabbed into the ground. "You got that right." Warren said, quickly grabbing the knife before he could and handing it to him.

🌁

The refinery was creepy, the motors still grinded and pipes hissed with hot air. Different creaks and pops of the metal structure stealing put everyone on edge. Not knowing what sound was just the refinery or a zombie on its way to kill you. But after looking off the rusted structure it was clear that the undead was more interested in the sound that was heard from up the staircase. A loud drumming sound, pounding to a weird twisted rhyming. "They seem to want something real bad." Garnett announced the obvious.

"It's that sound. Like bees to honey." Cassandra clarified.

"Or Z's to shit,"

"Hey, you know about this?" Warren asked the unkept guy, who shrugged, "Hey, all the easy gas is gone."

"So what's the brilliant plan? Die, get eaten, go home early?" Murphy remarked.

"What's that smell?" Addy asked, looking around with her nose up. "The undead and gasoline." Ash answered, muffled through her cloth mask. "Both highly flammable. So no firearms of any kind." Garnett ordered. She smiled, her speciality was knives, she took a small step forward studying just how to handle this unique situation. "So how do you want to handle this?" Warren asked, looking up at him. "I think I can offer a hand," She announced, pulling her mask down so everyone could hear her properly. "You wanna take their attention away from that sound. Like the fireworks in the city. That way you're able to get the gas and get the hell out of doge."

"It's probably some type of pump, but from where?" Warren added, giving a small nod towards her before glancing back towards Garnett.

"Follow the zombies," Doc said.

"They all seem to be headed for the top of that catwalk." Mack pointed at said catwalk. "We'll get up there and check it out." Addy added watching as Ash turned on her heel and started to walk backwards towards the refinery. "Good cause I wanna see that bat in action." She gave the red head a soft smile before running up towards the catwalk. "Where are you going?" Garrnett yelled after her. "Making a path," She replied, waving them off with a hunting knife in hand.

🌁

"Okay? There's something wrong with that dude." Mack said before out of reflex pushing him and Addy up against the railing, with his hand out in front of her. Both watched a pair of dirty boots swung down and the body of Ash landed in front of them. Looking at her with a look that read that they thought she was crazy. Taking the handle of her knife from between her teeth, "Don't let me interrupt," She remarked, starting to climb the next flight of stairs.

"Where'd you come from?" Addy asked as her and Mack followed behind her. "Somewhere up there, not really sure." She remarked pointing her knife upwards. "You got up there that fast?" Mack questioned with a hint of surprise in his voice. "Loved the rock wall growing up," She remarked. Seeing a zombie in front of her, taking her knife and stabbing it into his head before pushing his body over the railing.

"How old are you, kid?" Mack asked, hitting another zombie with his small hand-held shovel. "19," She answered before putting her hands on either side of the railings and turning back to the couple, "And it's Ash, not kid. But you're right this whole mission is insane."

"Warren and Garnett don't think so. Hammond died trying to protect him and so did a lot of people." Addy explained climbing more stairs.

"Hammond?" She asked. Doc had explained to her how everyone knew each other, and how Camp Bluesky was overrun. They had met Cassandra in a cage thing at an military outpost that was also overrun. 10k was also there, and much like her, Doc was the one who insisted they should join the small group. "Murphy's old military bodyguard," She informed as Ash tilted her head to the side, "Didn't realize the military was still running. Thought they would've destroyed themselves by now." She remarked, more as a outloud thought than an actual statement.

"You want to do the same?" Mack questioned.

"No," She replied, hitting her spiked bat into a zombie's body, getting it stuck. Mack went to hit the undead monster with his shovel, but Ash beat him to it. Grabbing the collar of his dirty shirt, pulling him closer towards her and stabbing her knife into his head.

"What if it's true? What if Murphy's who they say he is and there's a chance for a vaccine?" Addy protested as they went up even more stairs. "You don't get a do-over on the end of the world, Addy. It's too late." He argued back, killing any zombies that were in their way. "If there's the slightest chance of waking up in the world I remember..." She trailed off after getting her back stuck in another Z. Mack shoveled it off, "You really need to sharpen that thing." Ash muttered, helping back onto her feet.

"Where dead things stay dead...That's a chance I'm gonna take. Cause that's hope, Mack." She finished her small speech. The three reached a walkway where the zombies were easier to kill than when they were going up the stairs. Mack hit a zombie, making sure to kill it with his shovel. "You know how long it's been since I've felt something like that?"

"It's not hope. It's a lie. And it's gonna get us both killed."

"Well, then I'd rather die believing in a lie than live believing in nothing."

"Dman, you're sexy when you get all philosophical."

"Gag me with a spoon," She remarked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Pulling her hunting knife out from a zombie's head before going back up more stairs.

The whole Murphy's blood being a cure wasn't a whole lot believable. Year after year you'll hear all these different stories and rumors about there being a cure. Or that someone has survived a bite, only for it to be an amputated person. After a while you just tune it out. Cure or not none of that would help her find her sister. The only real family she had left, and she lost her. Nothing a make belief cure could help with in the moment. But she had to give it to Murphy. Those eight bites, scared teeth marks and all made his story one of the only ones that had this strong of proof.

Finally they reached the very top of the refinery where the turbine was spinning really fast, causing fire to roar from the top of a pipe. Addy quickly grabbed the collar of both Mack and Ash and pushed the two down. "That was cool!" She shouted over the noise of turning gears and they stood back up examining the machine. "Yeah. This bad boy's the problem alright. Nothing zombies like more than fire and noise." Mack informed them taking a step up to the console.

"Yeah, except brains. How do we turn it off?" Addy questioned. "Big red button is always an option," Ash suggested pointing towards said button, but Mack pressed it repeatedly getting nothing. "Well the stop button doesn't work. Must operate on pressure. Like some kind of relief valve or something. Maybe we can jam it up," He said, turning back towards them and starting to look for something.

"Well, what about the pressure or whatever it's venting?" Addy suggested.

"Yeah, we don't hang around to find out. Get the gas and get out of dodge. We just need something to jam it up with like a pole or something." Mack explained as both him and Ash's eyes trail towards Addy's bat. "No! I love this thing." Addy protested making him turn towards Ash, "I don't have any knives thick enough to jam it," She added.

"Figure it out!" The red head insisted.

He turned back towards the console. Ash leaned back looking towards the stairs, her brows frowned. "Hey, what happened to all the zombies that were coming up?" She asked, knowing they hadn't killed enough zombies to be able to just stop them all together. But she didn't get a response. Instead, hearing the motor stop, turning to see Mack had jammed the handle end of the shovel into the motor. And the entry refinery went silent. Followed by the faint sound of Cassandra's music box echoing through the silent air ducts.

Thankfully the silences made it able for Ash to hear the dragging footsteps making their way up the stairs. "Company!" She announced before piking it in the head with her bloody knife.

"We should go,"

"Yup,"

"Right behind ya,"

A bone hand reached and grabbed a hold of her forearm. Turning and stabbing her knife into it. Looking over her shoulder to see another zombie had dragged its way past her and towards Addy. Who shoved the monster off her and into a giant duct opening. "That was handy," Mack remarked, looking his girlfriend over to make sure she was okay.

Ashley pulled her knife out of the skull before walking over towards the two. Leaning forwards to look down the rusty metal duct. In the four years that the apocalypse has been going on for, this was one of the grossest things she had ever seen. A countless number of zombies, who were still alive, were mixed together with a disgusting gray muddy liquid at the bottom of a large bowl-like shape. It was obviously something that held gas or some type of liquid. "Now we know what happened to the zombies," Addy remarked, and before anyone could add anything a loud strong rattling sound started to come from where the motor was.

"Okay, it's really time to go." Mack insisted as just before the three where going to turn around the shovel cracked in two. The metal handle falling to the ground while the metal shovel part was coming right for Ash's head. She quickly dropped to ground, pain shot up from her knees and up to her hips. Her elbows followed, screaming in pain as she landed on all fours. Knowing this was to leave some nasty bruises.Sitting back on her knees, looking over towards the couple after hearing Mack yelp. Addy had his face between both her palms, as a small thin red line appeared more and more on his cheek bone. He hadn't been as lucky as Ash was at avoiding the flying shovel of death. She reached into the pack pocket of her dusty black jeans and handed Addy a rag.

Addy handed it to him before standing up. Ashley looked over at him with a concerned look. She knew those types of cuts bleed a lot, and they always hurt the worst. Even if she hadn't known them for long she wasn't a completely heartless person. He nodded giving her a soft smile, signaling that he was alright. She helped him to his feet and the two looked towards the redhead who was currently having a mental debate on if she should jam her bat into the motor wheel. "Do it!"

"Addy! Do it!"

The moment she shoved it into the wheel it stopped. When she turned back to the two she was breathing heavily, "Okay. Now it's really time to go."

🌁

"Nice job. What was up there?" Garnett asked, seeing the three running up to where he and Warren were with a tank truck. "Some kind of a pressure value thing. But the tank is full of zombie goo, like the top." Addy panted while the three where trying to catch each of the breaths. Jogging down the flight of stairs was somehow harder than going up with them littered with zombies. "Beautiful," He remarked with an eye roll.

"It ain't gonna hold, guys!"

"Start the music!" Warren shouted before hitting her palm onto the horn. Garnett climbed back into the passenger seat, while Mack grabbed onto a ladder that was by him. Leaving Addy to follow Ash up another ladder that was on the opposite side. As soon as the faint chime of the music box started to play again Warren started driving towards it. Only a few seconds before they reached close to the hose before she stopped the truck again.

"I got the hose!" Mack announced jumping down and jogging over towards the rubber hose.Garnett and Warren got out and went over to help him. While Ash and Addy were making sure nobody was going to surprise them. "Here. Give me that." Garnett offered to take the hose from the dirty blonde. "Firing up," He announced before flipping a lever that the hose was connected to.

The moment the gas started to fill out the hose the entry refinery started to shake. It felt like an earthquake, of course putting aside the fact they were far to east for an earthquake to actually happen. "Did you feel that?" Addy asked, glancing over towards Ash, who shook her head, before looking towards Garnett and Warren. "Listen,"

The sound of metal scraping against itself alongside the hissing and rattling became more and more louder with every second. "Get in the truck!" Garnett ordered running over to the lever to shut it back off. Addy and Mack listened and were climbing into the truck. Ash was going to do the same but noticed that Warren was struggling to get the hose unclipped from the tank. She rushed over to her side and placed her hands behind Warren's. Placing her foot against the truck and using it at leverage to pull the hose off.

Suddenly a large pop came from the very top of the refinery. Causing everything to shake and rattle with even more violence. As a result the vail gate bursted open allowing a tsunami size wave of the gray gooped covered zombies to pour out. "Motherfucker," Ash cursed, leaving Warren's side.

Walking past the truck and seeing Mack had the same idea. She took her hunting knife back out, whipping the now semi-dried blood on her pant leg. Watching as the gray zombies were dragging their way towards them. She raised her knife, making sure the pointed end was pointed downwards. Glancing over to see Mack had the shovel part in his hand, using the rag she had given him earlier to cover the splintered wood of the handle.

Plunging her knife into the first monster then came up towards her. Looking out of the corner of her to see Mack had done the same thing. But his eyes looked over towards her and widened. Causing her to fully turn her head towards him while yanking her knife out of the zombies skull. His arm reached out and grabbed hers, pulling her towards him. Just as a pair of zombie arms grazed her back.

Turning towards them, getting ready to kill them. But a car came zooming out from the side and slammed into a beam getting the rest of the zombies' attention. "Is that Murphy?" Warren asked, but it was more of scolding than asking. Everyone knew the answer. None of them would be this stupid to something like that. "Unfortunately yes,"

Garnett ran over to the two and saw the smoking car. "Get out of here! Get out! Come on!" He shouted realizing that any spark no matter how small would set the whole place up in flames. Mack grabbed Ash's forearm, even though she was keeping up with him, he didn't want to take a chance. Joining Warren and Addy as all they could do was watch as Garnett dragged Murphy out of the car. One of the gas covered zombies was blocking their path but a flying piece flew right through it's skull. Only three people weren't accounted for. The music box was still playing in the background meaning Cassndra was busy. And to no offense to Doc, but from what Ash had seen he wasn't as accurate like her and 10k. Leaving only the camo covered guy left.

You felt the heat before you saw the flames. Turning away just in time to miss any eyebrow/eyelash burn off. The heat breathed down her neck. Swearing it was currently burning the tiny hairs. Turning back at the sound of gunshots. Warren and Mack were both shooting the currently flaming zombies. Not having to worry about using their guns since things were already on fire. Garnett dropped Murphy to the ground once the small group reached the only truck they had left. "I'm alive!" He said, as if he was surprised he was actually alive.

"Great. Who screwed that up?" He asked, standing up on his feet. Looking back from the flaming seen to everyone staring him down, "Oh, sorry,"

"So, where's your friend?" Warren asked. Ash looked over to see Cassandra, and only her, standing there. "He didn't make it, and he wasn't my friend." She assured her in a stern manner.

Just then a nearby pay phone started to ring. "That is ringing, right?" Ashley asked, pointing to the phone shock at the sound. She had used walkie talkies, or writing notes but she hadn't used or heard a phone in years.

Garnett took the initiative of answering it, walking up to it cautiously. "Hello?" He answered clearly, just as confused by the situation. "Sergeant Charlie Garnett.... Can I speak to someone in charge?" He asked then paused for a moment hearing the response on the other end. "What do you mean problematic?" He questioned but before either could say anything else Warren yelled, "More puppies and kittens!"

Climbing into the bed of the truck at the sight of the handful of zombies. Just before starting the truck up a silver metal bat comes flying down killing a Z immediately. "Awesome," Ash muttered as Addy smiled widely, taking her bat back.

Looking behind her to see 10 running up towards them with both his hands full, carrying something. "Doc, Robin Hood 12 o'clock!" Doc looked towards where she was and smiled, "Here comes the kid!"

"Found these," He guested towards the two large gas cans in his hands.

"You're a god, kid." Doc grinned, taking the canisters from him. "Yeah, well hurry up!" Warren yelled now in the driver seat. Addy and Cassandra helped put the canisters into the bed. While Ash held her hand out for him to use to help himself up. Which he did, coming inches from her face before the two sat across from each other. Addy and Cassandra sat on the same side as her while Doc and 10 sat across from them. And back on the road they went. She could feel the wind in hair as the truck started to speed up. "Excuse me, Ash?" She looked over towards 10, "You've got a finger in your hair." His finger pointed to the left side of her face. Looking down to see in fact a severed dead finger tangled in her hair. Taking her fingers and pulling it out before throwing it over her shoulder. The one that was pressed up against Cassandra, of course. "Gotta love some friendly zombies."

maddie speaks !

hi long time since i've updated
this fic i know, but i started reading
watching it and forgot how much i
love and adore this show. it holds
such a nostalgic feeling. i knew i
wanted to continue this fic but didn't
feel like the current chapters that were
up showed my current writing so i
revamped this fic. also this is from late
2019 so i really reworked the plot and
made it more understandable and
honestly made Ash
(previously known as 12)
much more of her own character.
i hope y'all enjoy the rest to come <333