Demo

***Still have to kill Grey in the cafe when he decides to fight the zombies. Otherwise, this is complete but for edits for quality.***

<Sometimes a phrase gets stuck in my head and bounces around like a ping pong ball. It plays endlessly, over and over and over again, stuck on some continuous loop.

Sara sits across from me on the terrace, sipping on her lowfat soy mocha latte. She doesn't say much, and I'm not quite sure if she's ready for this. I'm about to hurt her, probably more than she's ever been hurt before. And instead of thinking how I'm going to break the news to her, that I can't stand her anymore, that I'm tired of her, that I want to move on... all I can think about are these two words from some stupid art class I took in my freshman year, a Latin phrase that refuses to go away.

Memento mori. Remember that you will die.>

Waitress
Here you go, sir. Grey, was it? I'm sorry for the wait. Our espresso machine has been on the fritz recently. Well, you know how that goes.

Grey
Oh. It's no problem. Here... that's about 15%, I think.

Waitress
Oh my... thank you, young man.

Grey
And, uh... here's for her drink, too.

<The waitress takes the money and puts it into the front pocket of her apron. She smiles and nudges Sara's shoulder, winking.>

Waitress
You have a keeper here, you know. I wouldn't let him go for anything if I were you!

<Sara blushes but doesn't say anything. The waitress winks at me, too, as she walks off to serve another table.

Thanks a lot, lady. Really.

Memento mori...

While Sara drinks, I do my best to consider what I'm going to say to her. But my mind refuses to settle. I squirm around in my seat and my eyes flit around. Looking at the tasteful flower arrangement lining the walls. The patrons inside the cafe, gathered around a TV set. The patterns cut into the stone patio below my feet, smiling suns and moons, like some ancient Aztec heiroglyphs. The way the sunlight plays on Sara's face, and the shadow her bangs cast across her eyes. She always seems so sad lately with her head hung down and her eyelids drooping. I think it's because she knows that it's coming. I wonder if she knows it's going to happen today.

It's not her fault. We had our time, and now we've drifted apart. I cock my head a bit to look her in the eyes but she casts her gaze aside, staring down at the ground.

Memento mori.>

Grey
I really think we need--

Sara
I love you.

<She grits her teeth and keeps her eyes fixed on some invisible something in the middle distance, never meeting my own. >

Grey
What?

Sara
I still love you. I know... I know things have been... I just don't...

Grey
Oh, Sara. Oh Sara.

<There's a long silence. Her tears well up and she starts taking quick little sips of her latte, using her free hand to fiddle with the buttons on her blouse.>

Grey
It's not--

<Suddenly,there's a sound of screeching tires. I turn my head to the street below just in time to see an expensive looking late model sedan barrel at full speed into a storefront across from the cafe. The collision is so violent that it sets off nearby car alarms. Smoke comes billowing in awful thick black plumes from around the car that wrecked.

Within seconds, there's a wild commotion as the people below begin to congregate outside and try to figure out what's going on. Some of them take out cellphones and start dialing, but it doesn't look like any of them are getting through. They dial, put the phone to their ear, wait for a second, then look down at the phone in confusion. I can hear quick flashes of conversations, and a lot of them are murmuring about riots downtown.

Some of the bystanders slowly approach the sedan and crane their heads to see if the driver is okay, but a middle aged man walks across the street, waving his arms in a wide arc, yelling, "Get away from there! The thing's leaking gas!"

Just as soon as he says this, the sedan bursts into flames, and the commotion redoubles as people back away from the inferno. Some of them try again to dial 911, but to no avail. Most of the cafe's patrons are out on the terrace now, looking at the scene below. They're talking about riots, too.

I get the feeling that something very, very bad is happening. Why couldn't it have happened ten minutes later?

I hear sirens and screaming coming from down the road. In the span of just a few seconds, the street becomes swamped with cars and pedestrians, all fleeing from something. The cars move slowly because of the crowd, but most of the drivers show no compunctions about mowing down anyone who gets in their way. It's like some sick parody of the running of the bulls. The shouting and the crying is deafening, and the avenue is slowly becoming littered with people who have been run over or trampled. I look away, feeling ill.

Sara has a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, her face pale with shock. She meets my gaze and waits for me to say something. I give a single nod, and she seems to understand. Breakup plans are officially on hold.

I stand up and walk to the railing with the rest of the onlookers. From down the road comes even more commotion, and suddenly some of the people in the seething crowd below are calling out, "They're here! They're here!" I wouldn't have believed it was possible, but the screaming and crying gets even louder, and the crowd surges itself forward, the stampede becoming even more violent.

Then something catches in my peripheral vision. I look down the avenue and see a group of about ten people descend upon a terrified woman. She takes a few faltering steps backward, swinging her purse at them. But they drag her to the ground, clawing madly at her face and body. Then like lions on a gazelle, they begin to eat her alive. As the rest of the people on the terrace watch, it's clear that they're panicking now just as hard as the rioters below, and some of them run back into the cafe -- headed where, I'm not sure.

More people arrive and begin trying to feed on the poor woman. But soon enough she becomes so completely surrounded that the latecomers can't elbow their way through the mob. So instead, they move on, attacking an old man. He suffers the same fate as the woman.

I turn to Sara. She's rocking back and forth, sobbing. Hands over her ears to drown out the sound. Eyes clenched shut. I reach out and grab her hand.>

Grey
Let's go inside.

<Sara stands on shaky legs and follows me into the cafe. A TV hanging above the bar area is tuned to one of the big 24-hour news stations. A frazzled reporter is speaking at a mile a minute, but I can't hear her over the din. Below her, a headline reads "NATION IN CHAOS."

Looking down the stairs, I can see a couple of waiters on the first level trying to push a table against the front entrance to block it. But some of the patrons are yelling at them, gesticulating wildly. I can't make out the exact words, but it seems like they want to leave. I lean down, clasping my hands on my knees and cocking my head, to get a glimpse out of the window. The stampede out on the street is as violent as ever. But then again, those crazed cannibals the crowd is fleeing from inch closer to the cafe with every passing second.

A fight breaks out. One of the patrons grabs a chair and hits one of the waiters over the head. The others join the fray, and suddenly the entire bottom level is immersed in a brawl. In the midst of this chaos, someone pushes the makeshift blockade aside and runs out the door. Several others join him. The ones who don't leave the cafe come running back up the stairs.

I straighten up and stand aside, not wanting to get in their way -- the last thing I  need is to get me or Sara beaten to death.

Some of the others begin to crowd around the windows on the second level. They're chattering about how the cannibals are drawing closer.>

Sara
What are we going to do, Grey? ... Grey?

{Leave the cafe and try to find somewhere safer}
{Stay in the cafe for now}

---

{Leave the cafe and try to find somewhere safer}

Grey
We're not safe here. We have to get away.

I run down the stairs and Sara follows me. Out on the street, the stampede continues unabated. But the sidewalk outside the cafe seems less crowded. I grab Sara by the shoulders and hold her close.

Grey
Stay alongside, okay? We can't let ourselves get separated if we go out there.

<Sara nods. I draw a deep breath. We step out.

But I wasn't prepared for this.

The wailing and screaming out here almost brings me to my  knees the moment I'm out the door. And the reek of death hangs heavy in the air. I look down. The gutters are running red with blood. Not five feet from the cafe lies a child no older than seven, broken and dead in a heap against a wall. Sara buries her face in my arms to shield herself from the sight of it.

We start moving -- there's no time to think. Only to turn and keep pace with the crowd. As we run, trying to coordinate our steps with one another, Sara begins to trip a little. So do I. We're being bumped and pushed around all over the place. Before I know what's happening, we've been swept out into the middle of street, where cars still mow people down in a mad attempt at escape. On one of them, I notice a severed arm hanging from the hood, connected to the windshield wipers by a dangling tendon. A few moments later I hear a sickening pop and squelch. I look down -- it's a man who's just had his skull run over by a truck. A little further forward, a group of cannibals has ripped a teenage boy in two at the waist and now they fight over his innards.

But I can't stop to consider these things. I have to keep moving. Keep moving.

Where?

Where are we going?

Soon a big, burly bear of a man manages to wedge himself between us as he runs past, and I lose my hold on Sara.

Sara
Grey--!!

But it's too late. She's being swept forward and I'm being pushed to the side. And then she's out of sight.

I'm probably never going to see her again.

Grey
Sara! Sara, where are you?

I try to weave through the mob, but there's just no way. Against my back I feel pressure -- someone trying to push me aside. My natural response is to turn around to see who it is, but as I do, someone else pushes me and I lose my footing. I wobble a bit and finally a third person runs by, bumping into my shoulder and knocking me over. No one stops. No one helps me up. They just run right over me.

A million feet are stomping me flat, cracking my ribs, snapping my legs, and I realize that I'm never going to stand up.

This is it.

Rapidly losing consciousness, I still have enough wherewithal to notice the SUV rolling straight for me. But not enough to move out of the way.

*crunch*

BAD END

---

{Stay in the cafe for now}

Grey
Going outside right now would be suicide. We have to wait for this stampede to pass.

Sara
But... but those...

Grey
If we just keep our heads low, they'll pass us by too.

<One of the waiters goes running back down the stairs and starts moving the table in place to block the door again. Without thinking, I start heading down to help, but suddenly a few people push their way through the door, knocking the table aside. As they file in, they immediately grab for the screaming waiter and pull him to the ground, just like the woman on the street.

And just like the woman on the street, they... >

Waiter
AHHHH! AHHHH!

Sara
Oh god... oh god...!

<And again -- just as with the woman from before -- the waiter's corpse quickly becomes too surrounded by crazed attackers for the latecomers to get their share.

It doesn't take them long to notice me, standing there on the stairway. They start walking towards me, lurching like Frankenstein's monsters, wheezing and huffing. Many of them look badly injured -- one is missing an eye, another has an enormous flesh wound on his leg -- but they don't seem too fazed by it.

There's no way out of the cafe. The only option for fleeing is to run back upstairs. But to what end? More and more of these cannibals are gathering at the entrance of the cafe, and now they're converging on the stairs, reaching out to grab me.

How could I possibly fight them off?

Where could I go if I ran?

No time to think... !>

{Fight}
{Flight}

---

{Fight}

<What choice do I have? I rush down the stairs and grab the nearest thing I can lay my hands on -- a sturdy-looking wood chair.>

Sara
Grey! Grey, come back!



---

{Flight}

<I do a 180 and run back upstairs, grabbing Sara roughly by the hand. If worse comes to worst, we can jump over the railing on the terrace. A few people have already had the same idea: about a dozen of them are hurling themselves off the edge, straight into the chaos below. The odds that they have even survived the initial fall don't seem very good.

As I dart my eyes around the room, I see a better alternative present itself -- a smaller group of people are cramming themselves inside what appears to be a janitor's closet. I tug on Sara's arm and start running for it, trying to get there before they lock us out. The waitress who served us is one of the last ones in -- at the threshold, she stops, turns around, and waves for us to hurry up.

I glance back over my shoulder -- bad move. The cannibals are pouring over the stairs in fours and fives now, gunning straight for us. I heave and push Sara with all my force into the closet before diving in myself. With everyone inside, the waitress steps back and slams the door just before the cannibals arrive. Immediately, they begin to beat madly on the door, trying to break it down. A few of the men in the closet lean back against it with all their force. I join the effort.>

Waitress
Is everyone okay?

<Most of the people in the closet give weak murmurs of assent, but the truth is that none of us are even remotely okay right now. We're trapped, with no way out -- and a thin slab of plywood is all that separates us from being devoured alive.

A woman near the back begins to hyperventilate, crying about how she has to get home to check on her son. I clench my jaw and sigh.The last thing we need right now is for everyone to start freaking out. It seems like the waitress understands this, too -- she pushes her way to the back and puts her hands on the woman's shoulders, comforting her.>

Waitress
We'll make it out of here okay. I've got a son to check on, myself. I'm sure they're at home waiting for us. We just have to sit tight and be patient.

<The woman breaks down into heavy sobs and the waitress hugs her tight against her breast -- to console her, maybe... but I get the feeling it's mostly to muffle the sound.>

Waitress
Is anyone in here injured?

<People shake their heads and shrug.>

Sara
What the hell is all of this?

Man
Beats the hell out of me. The news has been talking about riots for a couple hours now. But they never mentioned anything about people eating each other.

<I look back to see who's speaking. The pounding on the other side of the door is becoming more violent, and it's getting difficult to hold it closed. Why isn't this guy helping?>

Grey
Hey asshole, you wanna give us a hand over here?

Man
Fuck off. I have a heart condition.

<He walks across the room and sits down against the wall, cradling his head in his palms. People groan and shout at him, but he just sits there, paying no attention.

What feels like about 10 minutes pass. The commotion out on the street, at first plainly audible even here in the closet, seems to be dying down now. The stampede has passed. But the cannibals are still just outside, still beating on the door. I can feel my muscles getting weak. I think the others are feeling fatigued too. Sara steps forward and joins in pushing against the door.

No one says anything. We just listen to thumping of fists outside. And...>

Sara
That sound...

<I nod. It's... like someone trying to talk while inhaling at the same time. They're all making it, the crazed people on the other side, every single one of them. Moaning and gnashing and beating away. Like wild animals.

I try to come up with an explanation for why these people are doing this. But this behavior isn't like any rioting I've ever heard about in my life.

Those injuries that I saw would have been enough to totally incapacitate any normal human being... yet not only are they walking around, they're presenting the very real threat of breaking through the door by sheer brute force alone.

Are they even human?

Suddenly, there's a loud banging sound from below, on the first level of the cafe. Shattering glass. Shouting. Outside the door, the beating and pounding stop. It seems like the cannibals are shuffling away somewhere.

Hesitantly, I and the others let up off the door. Nothing happens. A dead silence settles over us. We look around at each other, confused.

A minute. Two. Three. Still nothing.>

Sara
Should... should we go out now?

Grey
I don't know. Is it safe? What do you guys think?

<No one answers. They're all waiting for someone else to act first.>

{Stay put}
{Open the door}

---

{Stay put}

I guess the bystander effect is pretty powerful after all. I hang back and wait with the others.

Things are already very tense, and soon we hear a rustling noise on the other side of the door. Everyone is jolted by it. Someone near the front grabs ahold of a mop handle, as if he plans to use it as a weapon.

The door handle jiggles. I race to throw myself against the door again, but a little too late. It swings open.

The man holding on to the mop lets out a savage "KYAAAAAHHH!" and brings it through a wide arc, hitting the intruder in the face with the terrycloth end and splashing dirty water everywhere. But the person he attacked isn't one of the cannibals -- he's a normal person. For a few moments everyone stands stock-still, utterly stunned.

With a grimace, the person on the other side of the door grabs the mop and throws it aside. With his face fully visible, I recognize him as my best friend. He's got a sledgehammer on one shoulder, stained red with blood. But he doesn't look much worse for the wear himself.

Bro
Nice going, jerkhole. My hair's gonna smell like mop water for a week.

{go to 1}

---

{Open the door}

I take a deep breath and put my hand on the door knob. Behind me, I can feel everyone else in the closet tense up.

Sara
Are you sure about this, Grey?

Grey
We can't stay here forever. If we don't go now, they might come back.

With that, I open the door.

A man on the other side peeks his head around the corner and looks in. Everyone jumps back in shock before realizing he's a normal person.

Bro
There you are, Ace. What's up?

It's my best friend. Wearing his trademark jacket, smoking a cigarette, and smiling. Standing there like nothing unusual is happening. But the gore-stained sledgehammer he has resting on his shoulder tells a different story.

{go to 1}

---

{1}

Grey
What the hell are you doing here?

Bro
That's no way to treat the guy who just saved your ass.

Grey
I'm... just surprised, is all.

Bro
I couldn't get ahold of you on my cell, so I had to check up on you in person. That's what friends are for, right?

<Everyone begins to file out of the closet as Bro continues speaking.>

Bro
You told me earlier that you were coming here with Sara to break--

<He casts a sidelong glance at Sara and stops himself.>

Bro
--So, uh, I figured I'd come here first. Good thing, too. You had about a dozen of 'em on your ass just now, and more coming up. I gave them the ol' runaround. Lured them away for you. No need to thank me, of course.

Man
Is it safe out there?

<Bro shrugs.>

Bro
Safe-ish. Shit is hitting the fan elsewhere at the moment. If you're gonna skidaddle, now would be the time.

<At this, people begin to disperse. Bro steps aside to let them through, and they walk, dazed, down the stairs.>

Sara
Do you know what's going on?

Bro
Do I know what's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. Zombies. That's what's going on.

Grey
This isn't the time, dude.

Bro
No shit it's not the time. But I'm not lying. This is a bonafide zombie epidemic. And it's getting real fuckin' heavy real fuckin' fast.

<I massage the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. As much as my mind wants to reject the idea, I have to admit that it explains everything perfectly.>

Sara
Christ. Do we have a plan here?

Bro
Playing it by ear today, slugger. But I think the first item on our itinerary should be to get outta here. I can't stand this muzak.

<I look around. Until just now, I hadn't noticed that the cafe's loudspeaker system was still playing soft elevator music. With tables, chairs, and broken dishware strewn all over the place, it makes for a strange contrast.>

Bro
Follow me.

<Sara and I comply, and as we slowly walk down the stairs, Bro continues speaking.>

Bro
There's a few rules you need to be acquainted with if you're going to survive more than a few minutes out there. First: destroy the brain.

Sara
What?

Bro
The brain. That's the only way to kill 'em. Stab 'em in the aorta, puncture their lungs, crush their spleens -- won't faze them in the slightest. You gotta take out the central nervous system. Now, you can floor one by taking out its legs, but that doesn't stop it from crawling around. Or nibbling on your ankles as you walk past. The only way to be sure... is to destroy the brain.

<He stops to open the glass door at the entrance to the cafe. We step out into the street. Sara claps her hand over her nose.>

Sara
Oh god, this smell...

<The stench of death hangs heavy in the air. The avenue is littered with mangled corpses. A few people are still running past, but not many. A police cruiser passes by, driving slowly but not stopping to offer anyone aid.

I'm so taken aback by the ludicrous atrocity of the scene scene that I fall into a sort of trance. Bro snaps me out of it by waving his hand in front of my face.>

Bro
Like I said, it's real fuckin' heavy right now. But you gotta stay with me here, okay, champ? We can't help those people. They're dead. Okay?

Grey
O... okay.

Bro
Okay. Rule two, then. Get bit and you're done for.

Grey
Done for?

Bro
Done. That's how it spreads. One bites two, two bite four. Soon enough, every motherfucker from New York to San Fran is a walking corpse. Don't get bit.

Sara
This is insane. This is insane.

Bro
Rule three: quiet.

<He sweeps his palm through the air in a downward motion for added effect.>

Bro
Sound draws 'em like gangbusters. The key to keeping them off your ass is to lay low and stay quiet. They won't even know you exist. Learn a card game or ten, we're gonna have a lot of free time.

Grey
Sure, let me just pull out my "rules of Hold 'em" pamphlet.

Bro
Last rule for now. Supplies. We're going to want to find someplace safe and stay there. Now, I'm thinking we should head to your apartment... it's the closest... and it's on the second floor, which is a plus.

Bro
But of course, we still need to eat. And we need good defenses, which means barricading windows and shit. So that's where supplies come in. We need to go to the store and get a few things. Sooner rather than later. When I was coming here, most of the stores I passed were already jam packed with looters. There won't be much left by the time we get there.

Sara
It's already late. Could we make it to a store and then back to our apartment before sunset?

<Bro looks up at the sky, hand over his brow to shield his eyes. The sun is hanging low. It'll be dark in an hour and a half, maybe less.>

Bro
You're 100% right, batgirl. We don't want to be going around at night. And I don't think we could make it in time on foot. But maybe....

<He looks around and spots a car parked on the street with one of its windows rolled down. He runs up to it and tries the handle, but it's locked. So he reaches in through the window and opens it from the inside.>

Bro
God bless idiots.

<Bro gets in and kicks at a panel underneath the steering wheel, revealing a huge bundle of insulated wires.>

Grey
Do you know what you're doing?

Bro
Sure, I've done it plenty of times before.

Grey
When? When have you ever hotwired a car?

Bro
Okay, okay. You got me. But I've seen it a lot in movies. That's basically the same as doing it yourself, right? I mean, how hard could it be?

Sara
Pretty fucking hard, I'd say.

<Bro starts fiddling with the wires, stripping off ends with his teeth and putting them together at random.>

Bro
No way. You just connect wires until you find the combination that starts it.

Grey
This is retarded. That's not how hotwiring actually works. We have to get going.

Bro
Just give me a second, jeez.

*zzzzt*

Bro
Ow! Motherless...

Grey
Look, even if this stupid plan works, we have to figure out where we're actually going. We may not have the time to get to a store and then back home even in a car. Especially if we run into a crowd of people.

*zzzt*

Bro
GODDAMN it, that hurts!

Grey
So are we going back to my place or are we going to the store?

Bro
Look. All I know is, whether we go today or not, we'll have to get to a store eventually. We're in this for the long haul, broheim.

Grey
You're right. I don't have a lot of food at home, and I definitely don't have anything to barricade with. If we have to hunker down, we need supplies.

Sara
Fine by me. Any luck with the car?

*zzzt*

Bro
Combinatorics can kiss my ass. Goddamn it.

Grey
This is pointless. We're just wasting time here. We have to GO. Now.

<Sara tugs at my shirt sleeve.>

Sara
Uh...

<Sara points to the other end of the street. I turn around to see what she's pointing at. There's a group of people lurching toward us. Thirty or forty, maybe more. I recognize some of them as the cannibals that I saw in the cafe.>

Sara
We /really/ have to go.

Grey
Bro. BRO! Look! Those cannibals you gave "the ol' runaround" to are back! We have to get out of here, RIGHT NOW.

<Bro glances over his shoulder. He shrugs and goes right back to playing with the wires.>

Bro
They're not cannibals. They're zombies. Try to keep up.

Grey
Cannibals, zombies, aliens from fucking Venus, who gives a shit! Let's go! Goddamn it!

Bro
One second, I've almost got this.

Grey
No. NO. We're leaving!

Bro
We are leaving! With a new set of wheels, too!

Sara
You idiot! Stop with the fucking car! You don't know what you're doing!

<The cannibals... or zombies... monsters... whatever they are... are getting closer. Perhaps less than a hundred yards separates us from the mob.>

Bro
I think it's this red one. That's the key. And this blue one here... and the black one? No, that's the ground.... fucking Mitsubishi, what do all of these wires even DO?

<I stomp my feet and pace back and forth. I don't want to abandon my best friend to these things, but he isn't giving me much of a choice.>

Sara
We have to go, Grey.

Grey
I know.

Sara
With or without... I mean...

Grey
Move your ass, dude! We're leaving!

Bro
Have a little faith in me, man! I've almost got it, I swear!

{Leave}
{Wait a little longer}

---

{Leave}

<The horde is less than a dozen yards away. We're out of time. I love him like a brother, but I can't let him get me and Sara killed. I just hope he'll snap out of it in time and run away with us.>

Grey
I'm sorry, Bro. I'm going. For the love of god, come with us. Please.

<Bro doesn't look up from his work.>

Bro
Do what you gotta do. I'll be right behind you. Just remember to stay alive, okay?

<I grab Sara by the arm and begin to run off, hoping that our departure will be the incentive he needs to give up on hotwiring the car. But as I duck into an alley with Sara, I can see him still sitting there in the driver's seat, trying to get the car started. I lose sight of him as I run down the alley. But just a little bit later...>

Bro
AHHHH! AH GOD, AHHH, AHHHHHH!

<Even from here, his screams are piercing. There's no mistaking what it is. It's the same way the waiter at the cafe screamed when he...

I fall to my knees and cradle my face in my hands, crying out like a wounded animal, moaning and sobbing. Sara puts her arms around me.>

Sara
We have to keep moving. There's nothing we can do for him.

Grey
I killed him. I killed my best friend.

Sara
Please don't talk like that. We tried to get him to come.

<She moves to hug me close, but I feel a white-hot rage suddenly boil up inside me. With an incoherent shout, I push her roughly away. She nearly falls down, but manages to steady herself against a neaby wall. As I stand back up, she looks at me with a mixture of shock and hurt.>

Grey
Come on. Let's get to the store.

<I trudge off and Sara pauses for a moment to collect herself before following.

We walk for a little bit and I do my best to keep from thinking very much. Off in the distance, I can hear sirens and gunfire -- I can't tell from which direction it originates. A helicopter passes overhead. It looks like it could be military. Thick black smoke is wafting through the air from an unseen fire somewhere.

I look at my watch. It's been less than an hour since this whole thing started. It feels like a decade.

Further down the alley, we come across a half-eaten corpse. A pool of quickly congealing blood seeps from a gaping hole in the torso. The reek is indescribable. I look away as we walk past. I think I hear Sara dry heave.

We continue on. For a few minutes as we weave through back alleys, Sara keeps her distance and doesn't say anything. But as we come to a fork, she hurries to get alongside.>

Sara
I think the nearest store is Hank's. We should go this way.

<She points to the left.>

Grey
Are you sure?

Sara
Well... not 100%. But that should be the right way.

Grey
Okay... but if we die, it's your fault.

<Sara smiles, but I think she's feigning. Joking about it doesn't change the very real danger hanging over us, and we are both very acutely aware of that.

I let her take the lead. As I watch her walking, it occurs to me that, if this chaos had started just a few minutes later, we would both be on our own. She would have stormed out of the cafe in a huff after I broke it off with her... or perhaps more likely, I would have left her there on the terrace, crying to herself. And both of us would probably be dead right now.>

Grey
I'm sorry for pushing you away.

<Sara stops but doesn't turn around.>

Sara
It's all right.

Grey
He was your friend, too.

<Sara nods and keeps walking. But a few moments later, she stops again.>

Sara
We're on our own now, Grey. At least for the foreseeable future. So we have to look out for each other. Will you do that?

Grey
Yes.

Sara
Good. I... I know this wasn't the plan.

Grey
It's okay.

<We turn another corner and see a little girl huddled down near some trashcans. Her back is to us and she looks like she's crying. Sara calls out to her.>

Sara
Little girl...? Sweetie, are you okay? Are you lost?

<The little girl doesn't answer. We stop walking and Sara glances nervously at me.>

{Help the girl}
{Leave her}

---
{Help the girl}

<I take a couple halting steps forward and call to the girl too.>

Grey
Do you need help finding your parents? It's okay, we won't hurt you.

<The girl wheels around. Her throat is ripped open in a wide swath, bits of gory flesh hanging down in strips from the wound. She snarls at us.

There's no need to investigate further -- we both know what the girl is. Sara turns and runs away. I try to follow suit, but slip on an oil slick, falling prone. Before I can get back up, the little girl crawls on top of me. I frantically try to push her away while she claws at my face.>

Sara
Grey! Grey, oh God...

<Sara doubles back and tries to pull the girl off of me, but it's too late. She bites down hard on my throat, tearing straight into my jugular. Sara's crying and screaming and tugging, but the girl's grip is like a vise.

The girl lets up just long enough to take another enormous bite out of my face, wheezing and gurgling in delight. Unable to help me, Sara just tumbles backwards, sobbing as she watches this creature eat me.

The girl chews and gnashes, stopping every once in a while to bite me somewhere else. As I bleed out, the thought occurs to me that this very same thing must have happened to her, perhaps only moments ago. Somehow, the parallel works to ease the terror.

Blackness comes. The warmth of oblivion.>

BAD END.

---

{Leave her}

Grey
We should leave her.

Sara
But...

Grey
I think she might be one of them, Sara.

<Sara nods sadly. Even from here, we can hear the girl wheezing. It's the same noise those things at the cafe made. She isn't human any more. There's nothing we can do to help.

Unfortunately for us, the only way forward is past her. We do our best to go as as slowly and quietly as possible, but when we get near, she spins around and lunges forward. Her neck is little more than an enormous hole with bits of gory flesh dangling from the wound, and her eyes are milky white, lifeless. Sara and I are momentarily stunned by the sight. In that split second of indecision, the girl grabs at my legs, pulling me to the ground.>

Sara
Grey--!

<The girl mounts me. She claws at my face and eyes. I frantically try to push her off. Sara manages to grab her by the hair and tugs her away before she can bite me.

The girl rolls across the ground but then quickly springs back to her feet. Sara freezes up in terror as the girl starts lurching for her.

From my position on the ground, I grab the girl by the ankle and knock her down again. She lands at an odd angle. I can hear the snapping of bones as she shatters her foot.

On her stomach now, the girl reaches back and tries to attack me again, snarling madly. I push myself to my knees and crawl backwards, looking for something to use as a weapon. The girl crawls along the ground, advancing slowly -- but she never takes her deadened eyes off of me, still wheezing in that eerie, inhuman way that the monsters from earlier did.

Suddenly, I catch sight of Sara. She has a huge cinderblock in her hands. She stops just behind the girl and raises the concrete block high above her head.>

Sara
GAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

<She brings the cinderblock down with all her force, directly on the girl's head. The back of her skull gives way with a horrifying wet thud, and brain matter sprays across the alley. The girl stops moving -- dead.

Sara puts her hands on her knees, breathing heavily, her eyes wrenched shut. I stand up on shaky legs and walk over to her. She lets go of her knees, tries to stand upright again, but her breathing gets even more ragged with the effort. Before I can say anything, she doubles back over and vomits.

I put a hand on her back, rubbing up and down, trying to soothe her. She wipes a strand of spittle away with the back of her palm as her breathing returns to normal.>

Sara
Goddamn it.... goddamn it...

Grey
Come on. Let's keep going.

<Sara opens her eyes and gives one last look at the girl's body before wordlessly continuing on.

After a few more minutes of walking, we emerge from the alley, finding ourselves on a small side street that connects to the parking lot of a strip mall. The lot is full of cars and the place is swarming with hundreds of people. Warily, we approach the scene.>

Sara
We sure about this?

Grey
Yeah. We need to stock up. If we dont do it now, we'll miss our chance.

{go to 2}


---

{Wait a little longer}

<I scratch at my head with both hands and let out a frustrated moan. This is driving me nuts. I can't just leave my best friend behind. By the same token, I can't let him get me and Sara killed. I start considering the merits of hitting him over the head and dragging him away by force. But I don't have the time to carry around dead weight like that.

The monsters are closing in fast. Sara stares into my eyes like a deer in headlights, silently begging me to run away with her.

I nod, and we take a few steps into the street... when, unbelievably, the car roars to life.>

Bro
Like candy from a damn baby!

<He slams the driver side door shut. Then he reaches across the center console and opens the passenger side door.>

Bro
Get the fuck in here, everybody!

<Sara and I dive inside. I manage to close the door just as one of the monsters limps up alongside the car. It slams a bloody palm on the window, baring its teeth. Sara screams in terror and thrashes her way into the backseat while I settle in the front. Another monster comes up on the left side of the car -- but Bro's window is still down, and it pokes its head inside.

It's Bro's turn to scream as the creature snarls and gurgles, trying to bite at his face. Bro leans to the side, kicks the car into reverse, and slams on the gas, knocking the monster down as we pull back. The vehicle's motion is short-lived -- we slam into the car parked behind us, setting off its alarm.

Sara is screaming incoherently, and I'm muttering obscenities too.Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Bro grabs for the crank to roll his window up, but it falls off when he tries to use it.>

Bro
Fucking Mitsubishi, I swear to god!

<More of them are coming, building up all around us. They beat against the car and moan as they try to get in. One of them pokes its head through the open window again.>

Bro
Seriously?

Sara
Go! GO!!!

<Bro throws the car into drive and pulls out into the street, knocking a few of them down. We roll over them like speed bumps.

The parking space is tight, and as he peels away, he clips the back end of the car in front of us, setting off its alarm, too.>

Bro
What do you say? Am I driver of the fucking year or what?

<We drive off, leaving the creatures behind. Calming down enough to stop screaming, but still agitated, Sara kicks the back of Bro's seat a few times.>

Sara
Fuck you! You almost got us killed!

Bro
The key word there is "almost." We're alive, aren't we? You're welcome.

Grey
Jesus Christ, bro. Could you cut it ANY closer?

Bro
Sure I could. But there's a point where it becomes showing off, and I'm way too classy for that.

<I pound my fists against the roof of the car, letting out another frustrated moan. I'm about to start really freaking out, and I do my best to contain it. Now is not the time. I have to hold it together, at least until we get back to my apartment. I rest my head on the dash and try to clear my mind. Bro drives slowly.>

Sara
The closest store is Hank's. Do you know where that is?

Bro
Sure do, buttercup.

Sara
Well, you're going the wrong way.

Bro
...

Bro
I knew that. That was a test.

Bro
...

Bro
You passed. Congratulations.

<Suddenly, the car's engine dies. We roll to a halt.>

Bro
What the---

<I lift my head and look around, confused. Bro tugs at the bundle of wires underneath the wheel and inspects them. The insulation has melted, fusing the wires into a single tacky mass.>

Bro
You think the warranty covers that?

Sara
Great. What now?

Bro
How far are we from Hank's, again?

Sara
I thought you knew where it was.

Bro
This is your final test. If you pass, I will reveal the secrets of the Freemasons.

Sara
Oh, shut up. We're about a block away. We can walk down Orchid Street and cut through the vacant lot at the end of it. Hank's should be on the other side. That's the quickest route from here.

Grey
Let's go, then.

<Bro grabs the sledgehammer and swings it across his shoulder again, stepping out. Sara and I get out of the car too and we all start walking. Sara leads the way. The scene here is the same as before -- bodies lying mangled on the ground, blood everywhere, abandoned cars in the middle of the road. We pass the horrors in silence. When we turn down Orchid Street, the scenery becomes a little more suburban. It looks like the chaos hasn't penetrated this far. In fact, everything seems kind of normal, albeit eerily quiet.

We approach a gray brick wall standing at the end of a cul-de-sac, about 8 feet tall. Sara insists that Hank's is just on the other side. We're about to hop over it when a group of three men in hunting jackets swoop past us, coming from out of a nearby house. All three are armed with shotguns, which they point at us. We hold our arms up as a show of non-hostility. The leader steps forward, accosting us.>

Hunter
Whachu doin' here?

Bro
We're just passing through.

Hunter
Yeah?

Bro
Yeah.

Hunter
You ain't one of them monsters?

Bro
We're not monsters. Go on guys, tell 'em we're not monsters.

Grey
Yeah... uh... w-we're not monsters.

Sara
Please...

<The lead hunter smiles wickedly, baring dirty yellow teeth.>

Hunter
Sure is a pretty little thing you got there. What's she doin' traveling with a couple faggots like you? Girl like her, ain't no way you two can satisfy her.

Grey
Hey, fuck--

<Bro shoots me a mean look, holding up his hand to shush me. Then he turns back to the hunters.>

Bro
I'm going to make this simple.

<He swings his hammer down into both hands and holds it at the ready. The hunters jump back a little, ready to fire on him.>

Bro
You're either going to have to kill us or let us pass. If you kill us, that means you have to use those shotguns. And if you use those shotguns, the sound is going to draw every single one of those monsters in a five mile radius. You won't be able to get away in time. Now, you look like reasonable men. I know you don't want that.

<The hunters look back and forth at each other. Something tells me that they're not very reasonable after all. Bro twirls the hammer in his hands.>

Bro
You're going to have a really shitty day if you don't let us through. I can guarantee you that.

Hunter
Yeah? And who says--

<The lead hunter steps closer -- Bro reacts instantly. He pivots on one foot, putting himself behind the hunter and grabbing him across the neck by the handle of the sledgehammer. Just as quickly, he spins back around to face the other two men, using their leader as a human shield.

Bro's hostage flails his arms and drops his shotgun. Without even thinking about it, I kneel down to pick it up. It feels awkward and heavy in my hands. I point it at the other two, prepared to use it if I have to. And suddenly, our two groups are evenly matched.

Bro half-whispers in his captive's ear, pulling tightly on the sledgehammer's handle for added effect.>

Bro
What do you say, Cleetus? Maybe it's time to rethink your strategy a little, huh?

<The hunter waves his arms wildly, trying to pull himself free. He grits his teeth and growls, spittle flying from his pursed lips.>

Hunter
Fuck you! You're dead! Dead!

Sara
Grey!

<I wheel around to see what's wrong, but too late. I see the butt of a shotgun arcing through the air. It smacks me across the forehead and I fall back, sparks filling my vision. I'm only disoriented for a fraction of a second, but that's long enough for me to drop the shotgun. The person who hit me picks it up.

Rubbing my eyes, I look around. Two other men in hunting jackets have apparently flanked us. They alternate between pointing their guns at me and Sara, and at Bro and his captive. I can't think of what to do next, so I just sit there on the ground, waiting for someone else to make a move.

Bro
Listen to me, guys.

Grey
What?

Hunter
Fuck you!

Bro
Shut up, you inbred moron, I'm not talking to you. Now Ace, you two are gonna have an opening to go.

Hunter
What?

Bro
Take it.

Grey
I don't understand.

Bro
Hop the wall with Sara.

Grey
What, without you?

Bro
I'll be right behind. Promise.

Hunter
Whatever you're fucking--

Grey
No way, man.

Bro
Just go. You'll know when.

<Bro starts to walk backwards with his hostage. The hunters take a couple halting steps forward to follow him, not wanting to leave us unattended. After Bro has gone about 10 yards, the other hunters threaten to shoot us if he keeps going. So he stops.>

Bro
Here we go!

Grey
What the hell--

Bro
Remember to stay alive, okay?

<With that, Bro suddenly drops his grip on the lead hunter and immediately smacks him hard across the face with the sledgehammer, flooring him. The other hunters react instantaneously, running towards him. He holds his arms wide and jogs backwards to stay out of range of their guns.>

{Hop the wall}
{Help Bro fight the hunters}

---

{Hop the wall}

<I have to trust that he knows what he's doing. This is our opening.

I jump to my feet and run for the wall. Sara follows. I let her use my hand as a footstool to boost herself over before going over myself. One of the hunters sees us and fires in our direction, but he's so far away that the buckshot doesn't hit us.>

Sara
Shit! Was that--

Grey
Just run!

<On the other side of the wall is an undeveloped dirt lot. Still reeling from being fired at, we run across it as fast as we can. But from the other side of the wall we hear the sound of gunfire again and Bro screaming in pain. The hunters whoop and holler as if celebrating. Then we hear another shot and Bro's screams go silent.

The implication is obvious. I fall to my knees mid-stride with the realization. Sara stops and tugs at me, pleading with me to get up.>

Sara
Come on! Please! They could come for us next!

Grey
He's dead.

Sara
You don't know that! Let's go!

Grey
I killed him.

Sara
We don't know that he's dead! We have to keep running!

<I don't say anything in response. As I sit there on my knees, I can feel my mind shutting itself down. A tiredness envelops me. I want nothing more than to lie down right here and go to sleep. To not have to deal with this anymore. To not have to face up to what has just happened.

Sara kneels down in the dirt before me and holds my face in both hands.>

Sara
Grey... Grey, listen to me. He did that for us just now. He told us to keep going. We have to.

Grey
Why do we have to?

Sara
We just do. We have to keep moving. We have to go home. Please take me home, Grey, please.

<Again, I don't respond. Sara begins to tear up. She shakes me a little, trying to bring me back to reality.>

Sara
I know this wasn't the plan. I know this isn't what you wanted. But we have to look out for each other now. We have to protect each other. I can't lose you right now, Grey. Please.

<I look at her and see the terror in her eyes. If I don't get up and keep going, she'll stay with me... and we'll probably both die here.

It suddenly occurs to me that if all this chaos had started just a few minutes later than it did, we'd both be on our own right now. She would have stormed out of the cafe in a huff after I broke it off with her... or perhaps more likely, I would have left her there on the terrace, crying to herself.

But it didn't happen like that. We're stuck together now, for better or for worse. And I have an obligation to her, just as she does to me. I'm not sure how to feel about that... but now isn't the time to stew over it. Sara's right. We have to keep moving.>

Grey
All right... let's go.

<Sara breathes a sigh of relief as I stand up with her.>

Sara
Hank's is very close. Do you still want to get supplies?

Grey
Yeah. We need to.

<Sara takes the lead and we jog the rest of the way through the lot. At the end of it is a small side street that leads to the strip mall where Hanks' Grocery stands.>

{go to 2}

---

{Help Bro fight the hunters}

<I can't let my best friend get himself killed. I get up and make a beeline for the nearest hunter, tackling him to the ground before he can react. We have a scuffle. One of the others, seeing me attack his comrade, breaks off from the group and approaches us. Before he can shoot me, Sara hops on his back and brings him to the ground, too.>

Bro
Goddamn it, what are you two doing? Run!

<I struggle with the man who I've tackled, fighting over his weapon. He knees me in the groin and I try to choke him. We roll around, our movements uncoordinated and spastic. From my position, I can no longer see what Sara and Bro are doing, but I can hear shouting from all over.

Suddenly, there's a loud bang to my left and a horrible bloody gurgling. The sound distracts me enough to give my opponent the upper hand, and he slams my head against the ground, finally breaking free of my clutch. He puts his gun to my head.

I look to see where the gunshot came from. Sara's lifeless body lies on the ground just a few feet from me. Most of her head is gone. I claw at the asphalt below me and let out an incoherent scream. A few seconds later, from behind me, I hear yet another gunshot.

The hunters are cackling as they gather around me and drag me to my knees. Their leader, nursing a freely-bleeding head wound but otherwise unfazed by the blow he sustained, approaches me. He grabs me rougly by the chin and directs my line of sight to where my best friend lies, also dead.

As I scream with renewed horror, the hunters laugh again.>

Hunter
You done fucked up good, boy.

Grey
Go to hell! Go to hell!

Hunter
I'll see ya there.

*bang*

*BAD END*

---

{2}

<Sara and I approach the parking lot. At the edge of the the lot, on a curb, is an empty cart that has been turned on its side. I set it upright and start pushing.

Just getting into the store is hard -- the volume of foot traffic both in and out is insane. As we enter, we pass dozens of people who have stuffed their shopping carts to bursting with food and other sundries. One woman, who appears to be traveling alone, is wheeling three full carts: two which she trails behind her, one in each hand, and one which that she pushes in front of her by kneeling down and guiding it with her chin.

Before stepping into the foyer of the store, Sara stops me.>

Sara
I was thinking.

Grey
What about?

Sara
What we need. We'll need a hammer -- no, three... screwdrivers, too. Philips head and flathead. Well, grab as many as you fan find. And nails. A few boxes of nails. There should be an aisle where they keep the tools. I think on the other side of that aisle is the produce section. We shouldn't get much produce. Or anything else perishable. But grab some fruit, and we can eat that tonight. Whatever you like is fine. They have huge jars of peanut butter here, too. Grab a couple. Bread is good, that keeps for a while. The canned soup aisle should be on the other side of the tools from the produce. Get as much as you can fit. I'll hit the toiletries section, and the freezer section, but we shouldn't focus on anything that needs refrigeration. Oh! Remember to get...

<Sara drones on for a little while and I sort of lose track of what she's saying. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that she planned for the apocalypse in advance. Listening to her plan things out like this is a shock to me. It's like she's suddenly become a new person.>

Sara
...Got it?

Grey
Uh, yeah.

Sara
Let's get to work then.

<We elbow our way inside. Sara breaks off to hit one end of the store while I push the cart towards another end. While passing the toppled sale displays in the front, I grab everything that catches my eye along the way: a pineapple, a bag of chips, even a little jar of poultry seasoning. But then I turn down an aisle and start doing some serious looting, sweeping whole shelves of random stuff into my cart at once.

While I work, I notice a police woman step into the store. She doesn't look happy.

The police officer wanders this way and that through the crowd. People continue looting and barzenly push their shopping carts right past her, stacked high with stolen food. She starts barking out orders and threatening arrest but no one listens to her. It's clear that she's not used to having her authority brushed off like this, and she paces back and forth, completely powerless to control the situation.

After it finally becomes apparent to her that she can't stop the looters, she balls her fists up and clenches her teeth, standing stock still by the exit and fuming with rage.

Then, seeming to get an idea, she strides purposefully toward the checkout lanes and jumps up on one of the conveyors. She unholsters her gun, holds it high above her head, and fires it into the air. There are brief gasps of shock, but then the chaos and noise inside the store grind instantly to a halt.>

Police Officer
Now listen up!

<She pauses for a moment and scans her eyes around the store, just to make sure she really has everyone's attention. Satisfied, she continues shouting.>

Police Officer
We are going to follow protocol here! You are going to shop as you would on any other day! Anything you remove from the shelves, you will bring to the checkout lanes, and then you will pay with legal tender before leaving! You will browse the merchandise in an orderly fashion! You will not vandalize the store or make a mess! And if I see anyone -- ANYONE -- looting,  I will shoot them in the goddamn head! Do we understand each other?

<There's a pregnant silence while everyone in the store considers what she has said. They look back and forth, first at each other, then to the police officer, and then down to their carts. And then all at once, just as suddenly as we stopped, everyone in the crowd -- myself included -- starts looting again. The pace is just as frenzied as before, picking up exactly where it left off.>

Police Officer
Stop! Stop this instant! You're all under arrest, do you hear me? I'm arresting all of you!

<Once again, no one is listening.>

Police Officer
Y-you have the right to remain silent! Anything you say-- stop, goddamn you! Why won't you listen to me? Anything you say-- Anything you say--

<Suddenly, Sara appears at my side with an armful of toilet paper and bottled water. She dumps it in the cart and tugs at my sleeve. We have to shout to hear each other over the din.>

Sara
Did you get a box of nails?

Grey
Yeah!

Sara
Good! And peanut butter! They have those huge jars of peanut butter here, did you grab one?

Grey
Yeah, it's right here--

<Suddenly, someone runs past the cart and grabs the peanut butter out of it, never breaking his stride.>

Grey
Hey!

Sara
Grey, I think we should get out of here!

<I look around at the shelves. They're starting to look quite empty. It won't be long before people are fighting over carts. Sara is right -- we should leave.>

Police Officer
--A right to an attorney! If you cannot afford one... if you cannot...

<There are horrified screams from the front of the store. A huge group of those creatures, at least 30 of them, are shambling in through the automatic doors. As they enter, they lunge wildly at any looters in their vicinity -- who for their part begin abandoning their carts and running toward the back of the store in a blind panic.

The police officer snaps into action and begins firing off potshots at the monsters, coolly taking aim and putting each one down in turn with a single headshot. But there are too many to fight on her own, and finally, she runs out of ammo. She turns her gun in her hand and glances at it, cursing under her breath before holstering it again.

She hops across to the conveyor nearest the entrance and kicks down a shelf of magazines to block their path, but it doesn't have much effect.>

Sara
Go! Go go go!

<I look around. Everyone else seems to be heading for an exit near the back. Something in my gut tells me that we might want to go another way... but any other way would bring me a little too close to those shambling monsters for comfort.

The police officer breezes past, headed for the back exit herself. She's blowing on her whistle, trying to coordinate the evacuation.>

Police Officer
Single file! Single file! You'll block up the door otherwise!

{Head for the back exit}
{Look for another way out}

---

{Look for another way out}

<I start pushing my cart down the aisle again, towards the freezer section. Sara jogs behind, tapping me nervously on the shoulder>

Sara
Uh, Grey... shouldn't we be headed that way?

Grey
No. There's too many people going that way. Look, the door's already jammed up.

Sara
There's no other way out!

<She glances back and yelps. At the front of the aisle, about a dozen monsters are pouring in, coming straight for us.>

Sara
Please!

Grey
I have an idea. Here.

<We duck around the corner, running along the back aisle. A little ways down, I find what I'm looking for -- the butcher's counter. Behind it is a swinging door that leads to a meat locker. I lift up the hinged portion of the counter, pushing the cart through, and we head back.

Inside, enormous cuts of meat hang from hooks. The room is cold and gray, and it's actually pretty sizeable. On one end is a docking-bay door, where the store accepts shipments of meat. As we work our way toward it, we can hear horrible screaming from inside the store. It sounds like not everyone made it out in time.

For some reason, I wonder whether that police woman will be okay. Probably not.

I undo the lock on the docking bay doors and push them open. The parking lot at the back of the store is empty except for a couple trailer trucks parked nearby. A ramp slopes gently down, leading from the doors to asphalt below. We guide the cart down and start heading for home. The terrified screams of people being eaten alive grow fainter as we walk and eventually we are free of them entirely.>

{go to 3}

---

{Head for the back exit}

<I start pushing the cart down the aisle again, toward the freezer section. But Sara tugs on my sleeve to stop me.>

Sara
Grey, look!

<I turn and see about a dozen of them heading straight up the aisle for us. The sight of them throws me into a bit of a panic. Sara and I abandon our cart. We start running for the back exit along with everyone else.>

Police Officer
Single file, goddammit!

<The back exit is completely swamped with people shoving and pushing against each other. We join in, trying to worm our way towards the exit, but it's a pointless endavor. The police woman stands on top of one of the shelving displays, waving her arms impotently.>

Police Officer
We have to do this in an orderly fashion! Your lives depend on it! Form a line!

<Suddenly, the shelf that the police woman is standing on begins to shake. It's being pushed at by the monsters in the aisle on the other side. It comes crashing down and the police officer disappears underneath it, going silent.

Like a wave, the creatures pour across the toppled shelf and come straight for the crowd. People are screaming and yelling and pushing even harder. We're so tightly packed that I can barely breathe. I can't even see where Sara is anymore.

Something gives way in front of me and before I can right myself, I fall forward, landing hard on the ground. Something crawls on top of me. I don't have any room to turn and see what. But then -- I feel a white hot pain on my leg and the warmth of my blood flowing out like a sieve. Then something grabs my arm and I feel a bite there too.

I can't  move. Above me, the crowd screams and surges, drowning out my own terrified yelling. By now there must be at least five of them on top of me. I'm being bitten into over and over again. The agony is all-consuming. One of them leans in and takes a chunk out of my shoulder, tearing the flesh out in a strip that extends right up to my left eye. One of them has breached my stomach and its hands explore my insides.

My head begins to feel light. But before I die, I manage to catch a glimpse of Sara being dragged to the ground too.

*BAD END*

---

{3}

<Our apartment is less than a block from the store. The journey home is fairly uneventful and it passes in silence. Sara walks alongside the cart, holding her elbow in one hand, eyes drooping. The way she looked back at the cafe. That may as well have been a lifetime ago, though.

We made a good haul. It looks like we have enough food to stay holed up inside for a few weeks. That should be more than enough time for help to arrive and get this mess sorted out.

Right?

As I push the cart, we pass a restauarant that's burning to the ground. The blaze is completely out of control and it looks like it could easily spread itself to the neighboring buildings. Not a soul is around. No firemen. No police. Not even curious onlookers. The entire street is empty of people except for us.

It makes me remember what Bro said. How we're in it for the long haul.

A zombie epidemic, he called it.

Those ususally evolve into a zombie apocalypse, don't they?

How ridiculous. This isn't a horror movie. Whatever's going on... someone will sort it all out. And we'll be okay. We just have to lay low for a little bit.

Finally, we're in sight of home. We push the cart through the parking lot just outside my apartment complex and then down the little pathway that leads to my unit.

It is a nice complex, for off-campus student housing -- modest yet quite liveable. I've been here with Sara for three years now. Yet just a couple hours ago, I had thought my time here was coming to an end. I had already made arrangements to move to one of the dorms on campus. In fact, I was planning to move out tonight, after I broke up with Sara.

Best laid plans, huh?

We haul the cart upstairs, Sara taking the front end while I bring up the rear. A couple random bits and pieces fall out as we lug it up, but I can't muster very much concern over it. After a little effort, we get the cart inside. Home.

I shut the apartment door behind me and lean up against it, my head in the crook of my arm. Sara fumbles her way into the living room, where she falls down on the floor, an exhausted, shellshocked heap. About a minute later, she reaches out and turns on the TV. I can hear a harried reporter babbling about something or other, but my mind is swimming too much to pay any attention. I step away from the door, put my back against the foyer wall, and slide down so that I'm sitting. Then I look up at the popcorn stucco ceiling. Jaw agape. Thinking.

My best friend is dead.

In the living room, Sara mumbles to herself, sobbing as she watches the news report. I think about how silly that is. They couldn't be showing anything we didn't just walk through ourselves.

Yet... it does make sense. It is only now that we have the time to breathe a little. Before, we were just running. Keeping ourselves moving and trying to stay alive. Now, here, we can take it all in. We can mull it over. Consider the implications. Imagine the future... and then realize that it's empty. The more I run it through my mind, the more I feel as if I'm straddling an abyss.

Memento mori.

Why did I think of that?

It was in my mind a couple hours ago. And then driven out by these other things. But not really. It was there this whole time. It is still with me now.

Remember that you will die. How couldn't I?

I'm crying now too. Just like Sara is, out there in the living room. We cry for the same reasons. We've seen the same horrors. We've both lost a dear friend. And yet the gulf between us remains. We cry alone. In separate rooms. In separate hells.

We will be living like this for a long time, I think. Together and alone. Trapped.

I let the grief in. I let it take hold and do its violence inside of me. I sob and heave and blow my nose on my own shirt sleeve, not even caring about the mess. I fall forward and pound my fists on the tile, kick against the wall, pull at my hair, yell and shout. And finally again I am calm. Not eased, but unable to cry any longer. My mind too weary to fear, my body too tired to rage. I sit back up and look at Sara. The TV is off again and she's on the couch. Lying there in the fetal position.

I can see that she isn't asleep though. On the contrary -- she just lies there and stares at the blank black screen with deadened eyes.

I think about what he said to me before he died. "Remember to stay alive, okay?" It's more than that, though.

Everything has its opposite number someplace. It occurs to me that this must also be true of that Latin phrase I've been fixating on. I try think of what its opposite must be. Even though I took Latin in high school, it is hard to grab the right word out of the cobwebbed recesses of my mind. But then all of a sudden, there it is.

Memento vivere.

Remember also to live.

I sniffle a little bit and stand.>

Grey
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