Past DayZ-This is my story.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Whether its sheer boredom or something else, I don't quite know. Feedback is great, but if you have criticism that is boundless or not constructive, keep it to yourself. I consider myself a fair writer, but if you disagree, then do not read my story. Also, most characters are based on people I know, either in real life or on the internet. If it one is based on you and you think it portrays you falsely or negatively, I apologize in advance. PM me and I can switch around the character's name or even their actions so as to not offend anyone. As said earlier, I am writing this for personal enjoyment but I would love some feedback as it makes me want to write some more. Please leave comments on my work, bad or good, as it helps me develop as a writer. Thanks in advance! -Dbl I really appreciate feedback!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

 
 

 

 

 

Chapter 1- Contact

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

                                                                "When did you lose your humanity?"
 
The words echo through my head over and over. It has been two weeks since I last heard a human voice. Despair. It is a part of me now, and will be for the rest of my life, however short that may be. As the last vestiges of civilization and order fall apart around me, I can't help but feel as if I'm slipping further and further into a darkness I cannot comprehend.
 
Sometimes, I close my eyes and imagine the sound of a jumbo jet roaring above me or the hustle and bustle of a busy mall on a Friday morning and feel normal for that blissful moment. Then, I open my eyes.These disjointed thoughts and feelings are all that is left of my old self.
 
The world has become hard, and I've become harder. I pry open a rusted can of beans with the tin fork that is both my only eating utensil and tool. I scoop the expired goop into my mouth, disgusted at the taste, but too hungry to care. The crimson embers of the dying campfire swirl around in the air above me as I finish the first meal I have eaten in three days. After I choke down the last of the food, or what passes for it these days, I stand and scuff dirt over the fire. I look up at the rising sun, letting loose a small sigh as I grab my only weapon, a Remington 870. Sliding the magazine loading port open with two fingers, I sigh once again as I see I have but 4 slugs left.
 
It's ironic, really. I received this weapon from my uncle on my 16th birthday, when we went hunting up north. After I killed my first deer, I vowed never to lay my hands on it again, never to take another life. "Heh. How I wish I could have kept that promise." I say, nothing around to hear my uttered words, save the dormant trees and overcast skies.
 
I crack my knuckles and begin gathering the rest of my meager supplies, mentally checking them off as I grab each item.
 
Flashlight.....check.
Backpack.....check.
Box of expired painkillers.....check.
Bandage...check.
Map.....check.
 
The painkillers don't actually make much of a difference when dealing with pain, but when I'm hungry I chew on them to keep my mouth busy. Hah, I guess you could say its like post-apocalyptic gum. I should start a company. Oh, wait, we don't have those anymore.
 
I begin to walk towards my next destination. I've been sleeping in this camp site for two weeks, shortly after I left Helfenburg castle. Me and few other survivors had holed up there shortly after this whole thing started. Most of us, including me, were from the small town of Kameni, just south of the castle. We had been there for about a year or so, surprisingly ok as long as we occasionally went out for food. One of the guys, Kyle was great at using a rifle and always managed to bag enough game for us to eat, and the small stream just to the north of the castle gave us all the water we needed. Over the course of this year, many different people tried to take our little slice of heaven from us, but we always dealt with them. I'm ashamed to admit sometimes that meant doing things I don't like to think about.
 
My next location is a small town named Yaroslav, which I'm hoping has some food stored away somewhere, as I just ate the last of mine.A loud crack in the distance distracts me from my thoughts.
 
"Crap!" I think as I immediately hit the ground. Judging from the direction, the shot did not seem to be at me, but it never hurts to be cautious. I hear the sudden crescendo of an m4a1 firing into the woods, towards the original shooter. "Seems like someone is in a firefight. I better get out of here." I think to myself, but as I begin to crawl away, my hopes fall short.
 
A sharp and distinct click sounds from behind me, and I dare not turn around. I let go of my 870 and my new-found "friend" speaks."Turn around, and your dead. Put your hands on your head, and get to your knees. If you say one word without my permission, you will be nothing more than a smoking heap of flesh in a split second." says a high pitched, but most certainly male, voice from behind me. I start to nod, but think better of it as I hear a sharp intake of breath from the man. I do as he says."Good. Now, slide your backpack off, slowly, and leave it on the ground."I unsnap the buckles of my bag and let it fall to the muddy ground with a thump.A few moments later, I hear a shuffling from behind me and assume he is searching it for anything useful.
 
"Alright, it looks like your no threat. But I swear to god, if you so much as twitch your pinkie towards that weapon, I won't think twice about sending you to meet your maker. You understand?" He says.
 
"Yeah..." I manage to croak out, my throat cracked and dry from not speaking for so long.
 
"Alright, you can turn around, but slowly now, you hear?"I nod and slowly turn towards him.
 
The man is wearing a long black trench coat with black rubber boots. He sports long, ragged blonde hair and startling blue eyes that seem to pierce your soul. Oh, and don't forget the 44. magnum staring me in the face, and the m14 on his back. Strangely, he lowers his revolver."Greetings. The name is Bradly." He says as he offers his hand.
 
"Uh....Yeah, erm, name...the name is uh....Alex." I say, unsure of how to react.
 
"Nice to meet ya, Alex. Now, hows about we go take care of some bandits?" He says, as he flashes a dazzling smile.

 

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Chapter 2- Engagement

 

 

 

Spoiler

I must admit, I'm pretty sure my mind has imploded a bit. Bradly is the first person I have met since Day Zero that didn't want to shoot me on sight. After one year of living in weariness of others not in my small, select group, my initial instinct these days is to shoot first and ask questions later. Not surprisingly, others tend to be the same way. On top of all that, the first thing he wants me to do is hunt down some people? I'm no expert in tactical engagements, but I am pretty sure that my 870 isn't going to be much use against a bunch of guys with fully automatic, military grade weapons, but what do I know?
 
"Um....so what exactly are you wanting me to do?" I ask, breaking the silence between us. He doesn't answer for awhile, thinking it over. For about five minutes, nothing but the crunching of leaves under our feet serves to show that this isn't a dream.
 
"Alright, you have managed to survive this long after Day Zero, so I'm assuming you have no qualms about dealing with people?" Bradly cautiously asks me.
 
"Well...."I begin, but stop. I better mull my next response over, because it might just get me killed. "I....know that sometimes..... you have to do what you have to do." I say, slowly and cautiously.
 
"Good. A few things about me you need to know: I only kill people who deserve it. Basically, I will only shoot on sight if I see them killing another innocent person, or doing something that would have been considered immoral before Day Zero." Bradly says.
 
"...Right." I say.He begins to respond to my hesitant words, but never finishes his sentence. The tree next to his head explodes in a shower of rotting wood as a high caliber round blows it apart. "Crap!" Bradly yells.He begins to run in a huddled ball, staying as low as possible without sacrificing speed. I mimic him and pump my shotgun once to make sure it is ready. The ground beneath my feet and the trees around me begin to blow apart as a hail of bullets pepper around me. At some point in our hasty retreat, Bradly had managed to get his m14 out and was sending rounds in the direction of our assailants. A particularly close bullet skims my ear and draws blood.
 
Thinking quickly, I go limp and fall to the ground, acting as if I had just been killed. My gun falls from my hand and I slump over a rock.
 
"What the hell are you doing!?" Bradly asks in a strained tone. I don't respond. He moves back as the bandits push up, inching closer and closer to me. I make sure my 870 is in range. Time seems to slow itself to a crawl as a million different things run through my head at once. I narrow my eyes in concentration as the men run past me.
 
One....Two....Three....Four.....four men. I wait until two are reloading their AKMs and strike. Quickly, I grab my 870 and jump to my feet. I take aim at the furthest man, still firing his rife towards Bradly. He turns towards the sound of my feet in the underbrush, but is too late.
 
The steps my uncle taught me play like a movie in my head. First, take careful aim. Then, exhale slowly, and squeeze, don't jerk, the trigger. Do not anticipate the shot, let it surprise you.
 
The gun bucks in my arms as the mans face dissolves into a fountain of blood and bits of skull. With no time to lose, I pump once again and aim at the next man. By this point, he has turned around and taken aim at me, but not quite quick enough. I shoot again, and this time hit my aggressor square in the chest. He flies backwards, almost comically, and his weapon flies through the air. By now, Bradly has realized what has happened due to the significant lack of bullets flying towards his face.
 
I swiftly dispatch the next target as he struggled to slam his next mag home. I hear a soft click sound from behind and spin around, just in time to see the last man with his weapons barrel pointed straight at my face. I close my eyes, ready for it to happen.
 
"This is it." I think. I'm done. I ready myself for the barrage of bullets tearing through my body, but it never comes. Instead, I hear a loud crack, and open my eyes. The man is on his side, a steaming hole in his head. Bradly comes out from around a tree and offers his hand once again.
 
"Damn, that was close. Smart thinking though. I thought you were insane!" He says. I am in a state of shock. Did that really just happen?
 
"Yeah, it did." Bradly says, and I realized I must have asked that aloud. He begins to paw the bodies, looking for useful items. I give him funny look.
 
"What? They sure don't need it anymore." He says, and I shrug. I hesitantly pick up one of the men's AKM, leaving my 870, and grab the extra mags off the others. I find a few bandages and, best of all, some binoculars and nice hunting knife. I grab the scarf one man had over his head in order to keep myself warm. I smile to myself.
 
 
                                           "I might just live awhile, after all." I think.

 

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Chapter 3- Memories

 

 

 

Spoiler

I sit down on the dilapidated log with a sigh and pull out my map. I use the pen Bradly gave me to trace my path since leaving the castle, and am depressed at how slow I really am. I put an X on the camp I have been living at for the past two weeks, and then a circle where we are currently.
 
Wait a second......
 
"Hey....why are you up here, in the middle of nowhere, anyways?" I ask Bradly, who had just started to gnaw on a bone that seems to be what he uses to stave off hunger. He looks up at me sheepishly.
 
"I could ask you the same thing, Alex." Bradly says in response. Taken aback, I drop the issue and turn back towards my map. I realize that we are close to the town I was "vacationing" in right as Day Zero hit.
 
"I wonder if my sister made it out of there?" I think. As soon as I finish that thought, I wish I hadn't. A series of memories play through my head like a movie.
----------------------
My sister and I are sitting on the steps of the front porch of my uncle's farmhouse. The time is near sunset, and the suns dying rays casts scarlet streaks through the blue sky, staining it with crimson. From this vantage point, we can see the rolling poppy fields spread out below us like an ocean of flowers.
 
"Alex?" Claire asks.
 
"Yeah?"
 
"Why do you think mom sent us out here?" She says.
 
I look at her, not sure whether or not I should tell the truth. My mom had sent us to this Taviana place to live with my uncle because she was diagnosed with a strange, debilitating disease that caused her to waste away and die. For the family members of such a patient, its hell to stay and watch as your loved one slowly looks more and more like a corpse over the years and eventually fade away. She wanted to save us from that horrible experience and sent us here. My sister, who is only 14, doesn't know nor understand what she is going through. I, on the other hand, at the age of 19, was told by my uncle. I'm still not happy she made such a decision without our consent, but understand where she is coming from and why she would do such a thing. I'm just sad that I will probably never see her in person again. Of course, Claire doesn't know this, so I can't afford to show any depression or she will think somethings up. Realizing I haven't answered her question yet, I hastily tell a half-baked lie.
 
"Hm....well, I think she feels that me and you need to learn some lessons by working hard in the countryside. We have been in the city our entire lives, ya know?" I say. She purses her lips into a tight line, then frowns.
 
"Mhm." She mummers, and we both know that I just lied. "Alex. Will I ever see mom again?" she asks, and looks me straight in the face. Damn. Those piercing blue eyes cut straight through me every time. I guess she gets that from dad. I look her in the face, unblinking, and shake my head ever so slightly.
 
"Probably not." I say in a hushed town, downcast.
 
"I see...." she says, and looks down at her knees.Suddenly, she stands up and smiles down at me."It's fine. I know that you will do your best to take care of me like mom used to do. Right?" she says.I hesitate before I say anything, knowing that if I say yes and break my word, she would literally kill me.
 
"Heh....heh....Urm, yeah, I guess..." I reply softly.She beams at me and then says, 
 
"Good." 
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"Hey!" Bradly says, breaking me from my thoughts."Where to? I've got nowhere in particular to be."
 
"Huh?" I say. For some reason, I guess I just assumed he would be parting ways with me as soon as possible. "Um, right. Well, I was thinking about heading down to Kameni." I say.
 
"Really? Why that little town? There isn't much there." he says , staring at me quizzically.
 
"Well, it's close to where I was going to scavenge next, plus.....I have business there." I say, unsure how he will react to my revelation. His gaze hardens.
 
"I see. Well then, get some rest. We set out before dawn." He says, as he claps me on the back.

 

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Chapter 4-It Begins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

When Bradly said "before dawn", he really meant it. I check the watch I pillaged from an abandoned cabin along the way, and it reads 4:00 AM. I groan as I stretch my back, and then begin to gather my supplies. Bradly does the same, his eyes drooping and his face pale. I guess he's not much of a morning person.
 
"You ready?" I ask, eager to get going. A small grunt is all I get in response, and I take it as a yes. Steeling myself, I clench my fists and set my gaze. I begin walking forwards with determination written all over my face. I am sure Bradly would have looked at me funny if he wasn't half asleep.Soon, the crunching of leaves is once again all that can be heard between each thought. After about an hour of walking, I begin to see the sun come up behind us. As I step through the treeline, I can see the rolling poppy fields where I spent a year of my life. The sun behind us seems to light the fields on fire with its golden rays of light, as if the fields themselves are burning. I look at the phenomenon with wide eyes, taking it as an omen. The crimson petals look like a lake a blood.
 

 
I begin to stumble through the fields, and take out my AKM. Can't be too cautious near cities.In the distance, I can make out the scattered buildings of my home. But, among those buildings, I can see stumbling figures.
 
"Bradly, watch yourself, it is infected." I say. He simply nods. We move up in the same sort of huddled sprint, cautious to make the least amount of noise as possible. As we move closer to the cluster of buildings, the grunts of the infected are audible. It's unnerving really. To me, the infected have always sounded like demons. I wonder, if there is a soul, did the infected keep them when they rose? A tap on the shoulder from Bradly breaks me from this train of thought.
 
"Where to?" He asks in a hushed tone. I don't answer. I begin to look around, making sure the path is clear, and then begin moving towards a house about 300 meters away from the rest. Bradly follows me. As I move closer and closer to the house, my heart starts racing. Even though I know that even if she is alive, she wouldn't be here, I still hope. God, I hope so much. I step onto the porch, and take a deep breath.
 
I touch the doorknob with my cold hands, and am surprised to find it opens easily. I slowly swing the door open and am not surprised at what I find.I look around and see a thick layer of dust covering the furniture, and no sign of a struggle or any bodies.
 
"Good. She got out of here alive at least." I say. Bradly looks at me with a funny look, but doesn't pry. Wait....there on the table! I move towards the table taking long, hectic strides. I pick up the crumpled, hastily written note.
 
Its my sister handwriting! I read it slowly, cautiously even.
 

______________________
Alex,We are going to Yaroslav. I don't know if you will ever read this, but I hope you do. Uncle was bit, sadly, but I met someone else. You better come find us! If you don't, there will be hell to pay :).Love, Claire <3
______________________
Hey, should she be writing curse words like that? Oh well, its the end of the world. Not like it matters anymore.I turn around, overjoyed. "Hey, Bradly. I know where we are going to next." I say. He just looks at me, unsurprised.

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WARNING: from this point forward, this story gets unsuitable for the faint of heart.There is no indecent content, but there is LOTS OF VIOLENCE. This is your only warning. If your easily offended, close this webpage now.
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Chapter 5- The Discovery

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 
                                                                  "What would you do in order to save your friends?"
 
Bradly. Claire. Carter. All of their names flash through my head as I pass over each of them with my scope. My face is contorted in a half-smirk of malice, feelings of hatred swirling in my gut. As the group walks through the open field, I narrow my eyes and set my jaw.
 
I lean into the bipod of my weapon as beads of sweat drip down my face. I swiftly and efficiently recall all my practice the days before. One...two... three.... mildots. I judge the range to be approximately 800 meters. I grip my DMR tighter in my arms as I prepare to take the shot. The shot that will make the difference between life and death, between salvation and damnation. I adjust my aim every so slight forward of my target. My entire body tenses, like a tiger about to pounce.
 
 
I exhale slowly, and take the shot that could change everything.
-------------------------------------------------3 Days Earlier-------------------------------------------------
"Bradly, we are almost to Yaroslav." I say as we walk through the forest. He gives a slight nod of acknowledgement and continues to follow me, his weapon at the ready. Awhile ago, we heard a few high powered shots, seemingly from some sort of rifle, into the town from the hills. I'm ready for anything.
 
This entire year, I have been wondering what has become of my little sister, and I want it to stop. Even if the worst is a reality, I would rather know than be suspended in this torturous state of uncertainty. Still, I can't lose my caution now.
 
"We have to take that guy down."I say to Bradly, and he nods again. I quickly explain a plan.
 
I skirt around the outskirts of the city, drawing my hunting knife from my belt, its silver edge glinting in the midday sun. I follow the sounds of the shots, sneaking ever so closer through the underbrush. Bradly is in the city, taking cover in a supermarket as the sniper takes potshots. My heart is racing, faster and faster, so loud it drowns out everything else.
 
There! I catch the barrel of a rifle sticking out of a tree. The man is preoccupied, intent on his innocent prey. My vision turns red, a hazy fog of hatred. It's this. These people, right here in front of me, like this man, are why our world is so much more screwed up than it could be otherwise. I can hear his soft breathing at this range, see the breath off his scraggly beard. I can make out his well fed, bloated pot belly, and worst of all, see the wicked grin spread across his face. In a fit of rage, I scream at the top of my lungs and lunge for the man. He begins to turn in surprise, dropping his rifle, and I stick my 3 inch blade into his jugular.
 
Blood spills out of his throat as he clutches on his neck, a stream of scarlet flowing down his shirt and over his hands. In a moment of madness, I look him in the eyes and say "This is your punishment for all that innocent blood spilled by your hands. Die, and go to where you should be. No one in this world will miss you, and your identity will fade into the nothingness that is death." In a short while, its all over.
 
I retrieve his rifle, a DMR, and search his pack. I'm surprised to find military grade night vision goggles along with 3 spare mags and several boxes of 7.62x51mm rounds.I walk towards the market without a seconds hesitation. As I near the building, I begin to crouch low to avoid being spotted by zeds.I knock on the back door of the market, on par with the plan. He opens the door with a grin, then smiles even more when he sees the rifle in my arms.
 
"Nice, but I never heard I shot?" He asks. In response, I hold up my blood soaked knife and wipe it off on the side of my bag. He says nothing, just gives me a strange look. We begin to move through the city, searching each building likely to hold survivors. As we walk towards another building, I spot movement in the corner of my eye. I turn quickly and barely catch a pale hand slip between blinds.
 
"Bradly." I say, and tap his shoulder. He nods ever so slightly, and we continue walking forwards as if nothing had happened. As we pass the building, we turn towards the door at the last moment.
 
I kick in the locks and Bradly levels his pistol at the doorway, expecting zeds. What we see is something we were not expecting. A man stands in our path, looking at the revolver with narrowed eyes, his hands up ever so slightly.
 
"You know, most normal people knock before going into someones home?" the man says, flatly.
 
"Stop with the funny talk. Who are you, and why were you at the window, watching us?" Bradly says.
 
"What? I wasn't at the window.....ah, man....why did she do that?" the man responds."What is your name?" Bradly asks, still pointing his revolver at the man, much to his dismay.
"Heh....wouldn't you like to know?" He says, but then Bradly cocks the hammer on his pistol.
 
"Carter! It's Carer!" Carter says, and gives a nervous laugh. Bradly slowly lowers his pistol, but as soon as he does, a shotgun pokes around the corner.
 
"Get away!" I yell, and push Bradly to one side of the door sill. The muzzle flashes, and the porches railing explodes into a shower of splinters and dust.Carter begins yelling at the top of his lungs at the person who shot at us, but neither me nor Bradly care. We were attacked, so we will fight back without hesitation. Bradly fires a few rounds with his revolver into the door way, and Carter falls backwards.
 
"Whoa, Whoa! I ain't the frigging enemy! Take a chill pill Clint Eastwood!" Carter says in earnest. He is grabbed by the collar and pulled away from the door way right as Bradly puts two bullet holes where his stomach was a few moments ago. Bradly begins to reload, and a figure rushes out of the door way and spins around towards us. I swing my rifle around towards the enemy, but freeze.
 
Bradly raises his pistol towards the persons face, but notices the two of us looking at each other with shock.
 
"Alex?" She says.
 
"Claire?" I say.
 

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Chapter 6- Consequences

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

Claire. She's alive. I am unable to care or think about anything else. This whole year, I was worried for her safety. All this time, I tried to forget about it and live on in her stead. I had assumed she was dead. I should have known better.Claire drops her gun, then promptly rushes towards me.
 
I look at her face, expecting joy, but instead see a mask of blind rage. I widen my eyes in fear as her fist meets my face with the force of a ton of bricks. I fall backwards to the ground, touching my cheek gingerly and grimacing, and she stands over me, tears streaming down her face.
 
"I waited, we both waited, for an entire year! What the hell took you so long!? Do you have any idea what it was like? Not knowing if my brother was dead or alive?" She yells, kicking me with each sentence.
 
I hold my arms up in a meek attempt to shelter from the blows, but do it half-heartedly because I know that I deserve it. She's right. She is my only family left, why hadn't I looked for her sooner? Why did I wait? I ask myself these questions and realize that I have no answer. I look up from between my arms covering my face, and see that she has stopped. Carter walks out slowly, unsure of how to react. Bradly just looks confused.
 
"Alex? Do you know these people?" He asks me hesitantly.
 
"Y-Yeah....." I respond.Claire looks at Bradly, as if just remembering he was there. She sends him a scornful look and puts her hands on her hips."I'm his sister." She says flatly
 
.Bradly just raises his eyebrows and responds with, " I can totally see the resemblance there." With more than a tad bit of sarcasm in his voice, my sister glares at him and turns away. He is right though. My sister's strawberry blonde hair is a stark contrast to my jet black head. Also, her eyes are blue while mine are the lightest shade of brown. Her hair is shorter than the last time I saw her, around shoulder length. I chuckle a bit. It's just like her to care about appearances even during the end of the world.
 
"What are you laughing at?" Claire says with disdain. I begin to respond to her words, but Carter suddenly speaks.
 
"I hate to break up the reunion, but we better get inside before the zeds come crawling our way." He says. I sigh and stand.
 
"Are they really that much of a problem? I haven't really messed with them much since day zero." I respond, and he replies with,
 
" If you really want to find out, stand around out here while I go inside."
 
I take that as a yes and follow him into the building, surprised to see the number of fortifications the house has. Each window seems to be covered with 3 inch steel plates mounted on a lockable slider.

 
The window that I saw Claire at is the only one currently open. Carter closes the door behind us and locks it. To be honest, I am surprised the door is in one piece after how we attacked it.I collapse on the couch, and my sister sits beside me, obviously glad to see me regardless of her reaction.
 
She looks over to me and bluntly asks, "Why are you here?" I understand what she means.
 
"I came to make good on my promise." I say, knowing that she will know what I am talking about. She widens here eyes in shock.
 
"Hmph. My brother actually remembered something so trivial?" Even though she says that, I can tell she is happy that I did.
 
"I still don't get what the hell just happened." Bradly says, and my sister rolls her eyes in his direction. I can tell these two are going to get along swimmingly.
 
"I assume your alex? The brother we have been waiting around for?" Carter says, and I look up and realize he has been staring at me this entire time.
 
"Yeah. Got a problem?" I say, unsure why we are being combative.
 
"Carter." My sister says sharply, and he averts his eyes. Wait...are these two......I cough loud and hard, suddenly having a dry throat. I gasp for air, clutching at my throat.
 
"Alex? You ok?" Claire asks.
 
Carter just smiles, realizing what kind of conclusion I have come to.He winks at me.
 
"I WILL KILL YOU! BASTARD!!" I yell, getting up from my seat. I send a flying punch his way, and hit him square in the chest. He goes flying, his head hitting the wall with a crack. That damn idiotic smile is still on his face, seemingly un-phased.
 
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Claire yells."HE...HE....YOU...." I say, unsure of how to go about voicing my suspicion."What...." My sister begins to say, but catches onto my meaning. She scowls and slaps me in the face. Hard."Stupid." She says, seething. I rub my face, glad I was wrong. I stand up and fall back into my seat with a sigh, and Carter still has that idiotic grin on his face.
 

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Chapter 7- Day Zero
 

Spoiler

https://www.youtube....h?v=1QqY-8mohxo

Day Zero. The day the world went to hell. I can't seem to recall the exact date, but I do remember it being towards the end of winter. I remember that day more than any other in my entire life. Absolute clarity. I was working out in my uncle's garden, breaking up the ground with an old, rusted hoe. Sweat beaded my face even though it was 40 Degrees. Considering we lived a fair distance away from any big city, we didn't have any television access, only radio. I wish we had been paying attention to the emergency alerts, but wrote them off as bad weather.
 
My sister, being...well...the way she is, said that the noise was "giving her a headache" , so she turned it off. The first sign was when our neighbors began packing their cars. When I wished them luck on their vacation, they just looked at me funny. I went back to the fields behind the house to resume my work.
 
A few hours went by, and I stopped to take a break. I began to think about mom, and dad, and if I would ever get to go back to California. These thoughts were not uncommon those days. As I stood up to head back inside, a loud bang made me start. "What? Was that....a gunshot?!" I said to myself. I got my answer a few seconds later.
 
A figure came sprinting towards me from the town, blood drenching their face. "Are you alright?!" I asked, afraid that this person was just shot. In response, the person let out a blood curdling, bone-chilling screech that sent shivers down my spine and made me certain that this....thing....wasn't human. Thinking quickly, I grabbed my hoe and swung it over my shoulder, into the creatures head. It's skull shattered and caved in, and it fell down into a lifeless heap.
 
In a panic, I ran to the back door and found it locked. Unsure of what to do, I began to run into the fields behind my house as six more of the things came around the corner of the neighbors house, after me. As I ran away, I thought to myself "What the hell is going on!?". I began to get tired, and realized that my aggressors were still following me. As my breathing became shallow and it became harder and harder to continue, the creatures fell over on the ground as a burst from an m4a1 rang out to my left.
 
"Over here!" My neighbor, Kyle, said as he shot the rest of them. I ran over to him, and we quickly exchanged our experiences. As you probably can guess, this was the beginning to a year long vacation in a particularly dusty castle, until.....that happened.
 

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Chapter 8- Abduction

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

The loud snoring snoring of Carter echoes throughout the house as I slip my jeans and sneakers on. I had woken up, hungry but not willing to eat my sister's food.
 
I grab my akm and leave my DMR under the bed, just in case. I exit the shadowy home and step into a dark Taviana night. The moon is barely visible above me, casting stark shadows across this long-dead city. I shake my head, casting away the chains of dread that seemed to bind me on the doorstep. For some reason, I felt suddenly cautious and weary, ready for anything.
 
Off in the distance, I can hear the low, lonely moans of the dead as they continue their solitary, pointless existence. I walk towards the store that Bradly was shot at in a few days ago. When I get to the store, I shudder as I run my hands over the bullet holes evident in the concrete wall. Thank god for Russian architecture, I think to myself.
 
I scan the shelves, looking for any food to add to my measly collection. The shelves have mostly been cleaned, likely ransacked in the first few days after Day Zero, but I manage to find a lone can of pasta underneath a shelf, likely forgotten in the panic. I crack it open with a subtle sigh, and scoop some of the noodles into my mouth with my hands. Can't be picky these days.
 
I finish the can fairly quickly, and take a few swigs from my bottle I acquired from the conflict in the woods. I ponder the events of the past fews days, amazed at how quickly me and my sis adapted back into the same old pattern that we used to have. I let my mind wander, there in the dusty, forsaken store, and allow myself to think of things that I haven't let myself think about.
 
I really do miss society, as much as I used to hate being around people. It makes me really appreciate how good we all had it before the crap hit the fan. Man, If I could relive my life knowing that this was coming, I would have done so much more. Ah, well. That is in the past now. Its all I can do to survive now.
 
Author's note: These few paragraphs are actually about a page of writing on IRL college ruled notebook paper. Appreciate how much time this takes please!
 
As I lift myself up off the linoleum floor, an inhuman scream in the distance makes me start. I bring my AKM up to eye level, immediately ready. After about five minutes, nothing comes through the glass doors, so I quickly begin to make my way back to the house.
 
I shuffle on the streets slowly and cautiously, making sure to listen to the moaning of the corpses in order to easily avoid them. When one began to turn my direction, I pull my knife from my belt and quickly dispatch it by burying the blade into its decomposed head. I pull my blade back out and wipe it off on the patch of grass in the cracks of sidewalk, and sheath it into its place.
 
I move even quicker now, making up for lost time. I hear a loud bang as I approach the house, and duck behind a apartment complex to the left of the home. I watch in horror as I see five men walking out, various military grade rifles nudging my friends' backs. Bradly....Carter...and finally, Claire. My vision turns red and I see spots as a feeling of ultimate rage burns into the fiber of my very being. I want to unload my bullets into the lot of them, but don't let my anger get the best of me. I know that my mag doesn't have enough rounds in it to take out five guys at once, but my hatred almost gets the better of me. How the hell did they find us?!
 
I hear the apparent leader, a tall man with a scar across his right eye. He is also wearing a brown cowboy hat and has a slight Russian accent. "Move it!" He says to my comrades, in a hurry. As they make their way towards the mountain nearest the city, East, towards Kameni, I exhale silently and begin to follow after grabbing my DMR from the house.
 
 This will be a challenge. No worries, I say to myself. They will all die for screwing around with my family and friends.
 

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Chapter 9- The Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

I have been following the men all night now, and the sun is rising. As my anger faded to a dull roar in the pit of my stomach, I began to watch the group more closely. By now, my friends have been tied up.
 
I've been pondering what exactly they could want with them, but I've only really been able to come to a single conclusion. Let's just say it ain't a pretty one. They just settled down and made a camp for some rest, still unaware of my presence. They have guards posted, so I can't attack right now.Figuring they will be there for a good while, I head off until i'm far enough away where they won't hear my rifle. They dropped my ammo awhile back, I suppose because they don't have any guns that use my caliber of ammunition. I load a fresh mag into the loading port and pick my target, a tree about 100 meters away. After about 10 minutes of switching around targets at various ranges, I begin to get used to compensating for range with the mil-dots.
 

 
As I adjust my aim for the next target, I hear a leaf crackling behind me.
 
My concentration broken, I swing around, bringing the barrel of my weapon into the chest of my assailant. I pull the trigger, expecting it to be over. The person's shirt is caked with dried blood. My barrel is lodged into the now DMR round-sized hole in their chest, inhuman cries of hunger and despair echoing throughout the forest.
 
As one of it's gritty nails slice into the air next to my face, I fall backwards onto the hard ground as the thing collapses on top of me. I barely managed to squeeze out a round into its skull before it tries to bite me, and breathe a sigh of relief. I turn to the body and am shocked to see the face.It is the face of a protector.A leader.Someone who was my best friend, and my worst friend for an entire year. The longest year of my life. His name..... was Kyle.
 
I sigh once again and and turn the corpse over, facing the ground. I get up and gather my supplies and dust myself off. I accepted Kyle's death a good while ago. I'm over it. Now, as someone once said, "It's time to take care of some bandits."

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Chapter 10- The Kill
 

Spoiler

I move through the brush silently, paying careful attention to detail, and avoiding every leaf in my path. My heart slows itself to a subtle pounding, just enough for me to know I'm alive. The soft, subtle pattern of leaves on the forest floor mask my silhouette from any curious eyes as I begin to climb to the crest of the hill.
 
As I slowly make my way towards the top, I prepare myself. I've been tracking these people for a couple of hours now, and the entire time I have felt as if I could take them all on. Finally, I reach the top of the hill and begin to set up shop. I go prone on the ground and deploy my bipod on a flat rock. I take aim into the field below and catch sight of the group, as well as Carter, Bradly and Claire.My heart is calm, and no sweat beats my brow.
 
Everything seemed to slow down, and my mind seems to speed up. Every single minute, insignificant detail my brain automatically begins to pick up, as if it was on overdrive. I feel superhuman.
 
Bradly. Claire. Carter. All of their names flash through my head as I pass over each of them with my scope. My face is contorted in a half-smirk of malice, feelings of hatred swirling in my gut. As the group walks through the open field, I narrow my eyes and set my jaw. I lean into the bipod of my weapon as beads of sweat drip down my face.
 
I swiftly and efficiently recall all my practice the days before. One...two... three.... mildots. I judge the range to be approximately 800 meters. I grip my DMR tighter in my arms as I prepare to take the shot. The shot that will make the difference between life and death, between salvation and damnation. I adjust my aim every so slightly forward of my target. My entire body tenses, like a tiger about to pounce.
 
I exhale slowly, and take the shot that could change everything.
 
 

 
 
A second or two later, the man that was nearest my sister's head explodes into a million bits of skull and brain matter as a round punches through him at 850 feet a second. Almost immediately, all of the other men scatter, running for the treeline and throwing their hostages to the ground. The world around me seems to slow to a crawl as I line up the next shot.
 
The man I saw earlier, the one with the cowboy hat, is the only one with some sense in him. Instead of moving for the treeline, he grabbed my sister and threw her on top of him, as a bullet shield. "Sorry, Your luck is up, my friend."
 
I shoot a single round, and the round hits him in the neck, going below my sister. "Wrong angle, buddy. Thanks for playing."
 
I quickly adjust my scope to the next target, which has by now made it to the treeline. He begins to spray in my general direction, but I simply snort with amusement and put a round between his eyes. The man next to him widens his eyes and his comrade's brain cells splatter across his vest and glasses. The man begins to cower, and I pop a round into the side of his temple. I swing around, looking for the last man, and find him running off, almost over the crest of a hill. I hesitate for a second, but then readjust my scope to put the crosaire straight onto his back.
 
I take one, final shot and split his abdomen in half. All this chaos happened in about one minute, but it felt more like an hour for me. I quickly pack up my gear and sprint down the hill to my friends. They greet me when I get near and calm down a little now that their lives are no longer in danger. After exchanging a small amount of words, I cut their ties and begin to gather supplies. Ignoring a couple of funny looks from Carter and Claire, I gesture for them to pick up some dropped gear as well. I will sort through it all later, but for now, we have to get out of here.
"Cmon guys, we have to go. Zeds will be here on us any minute now."
They nod wordlessly, and Bradly gives me a pat on the back. As we head out, I realize that none of them had even said thank you.

 

 

 

 

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.Comment for more plz! It lets me know people enjoy it and makes me want to write more! Thanks for reading the story so far! If you would like to be notified when I add new chapters, be sure to hit "Follow this post" In the top right! Also, beans are most certainly appreciated :)I am looking for someone to do a dramatic reading of this story! Each video will be one chapter, so there is plenty of time for you to rest in between each. 
 
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Edited September 7, 2016 by dblxross@yahoo.com

[Foskifo 8]

Great writing! Enjoyed reading it even if english is not my native language. Will wait for following chapters

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Great writing! Enjoyed reading it even if english is not my native language. Will wait for following chapters

Thanks alot man.

[Hyperionist1142 0]

I rather enjoyed this an it passed the class time today so thanks

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Thanks for the great feedback! Chapter two has been added!

[Lord Sauron 18]

Good story. One thing though, the winchester isn't a shotgun, it's a rifle.

Otherwise, this was pretty good.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Good story. One thing though, the winchester isn't a shotgun, it's a rifle.

Otherwise, this was pretty good.

Haha, yeah, my brain was functioning at about 2% yesterday from lack of sleep, thanks for pointing that out. Fixed it :P

[Lord Sauron 18]

Haha, yeah, my brain was functioning at about 2% yesterday from lack of sleep, thanks for pointing that out. Fixed it :P

No problem.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Chapter 3 is up! Less action, but more back story on why exactly Alex is in Taviana. Enjoy! :D

[Spazmatic 0]

Really great story! I absolutely love being a character that somewhat shows my personality.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Spazmatic

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Really great story! I absolutely love being a character that somewhat shows my personality.

W/e bradly, go away, your not supposed to be here :P

[b683960 3]

Good realistic approach (s/w, real picture, map etc.) and of course excellently written.

"I shoot again, and this time hit my aggressor square in the chest. He flies backwards, almost comically, and his weapon flies through the air." Hhmm... 2 sentences... a bit too short to describe such decisive "experierence". Actual this "event" could generate a second whole story.

I look forward to what will happen near or in Kameni.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Good realistic approach (s/w, real picture, map etc.) and of course excellently written.

"I shoot again, and this time hit my aggressor square in the chest. He flies backwards, almost comically, and his weapon flies through the air." Hhmm... 2 sentences... a bit too short to describe such decisive "experierence". Actual this "event" could generate a second whole story.

I look forward to what will happen near or in Kameni.

Thanks alot for the good feedback, and yes, I intend to eventually add more detail to other events. For now, im trying to make it as concise as possible, in a sort of Hemmingway-esk style. After I get to around chapter 10, I will go back and fix it up to be more detailed. On a side note, things that happen in Kameni will most certainly progress the story in a new direction 8)

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Chapter four has been added. Sorry for being so short, but the fifth will be longer.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Chapter five is coming up today or tomorrow!

[Horny goldfish (DayZ) 10]

I still can't find 4 or any others

[Horny goldfish (DayZ) 10]

I still can't find 4 or any others

[Horny goldfish (DayZ) 10]

I still can't find 4 or any others

[Horny goldfish (DayZ) 10]

I still can't find 4 or any others

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Um.... You didn't have to post it four times, I think we can see that your having issues. It is all there. Just scroll down.

[blazingkow 0]

Fantastic! Can't wait for the next installment!

[FlamingDefibs 421]

Fantastic! Can't wait for the next installment!

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Fantastic! Can't wait for the next installment!

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Thanks for the feedback guys! Next installment is now in progress. Hopefully lots of action.

[dblxross@yahoo.com 103]

Chapter five is here! Now things get....interesting. ;)

[Horny goldfish (DayZ) 10]

sorry bout that my computer spazed when i did it