The Walking Dead.

His heart hammered in his chest, beating frantically against his ribcage, running was never his strong suit. Gangly limbs pushed forward past the burning sensation in the muscles of his thighs. There was breath, hot and heavy on his neck, the open maw of glorified tainted meat behind him Or was that just anxiety?

Ahead was a shuttered building, a Bar! locked down in attempt to stop the inevitable maybe it would shelter him for just a second. He pressed forward, running full speed towards it, when he arrived, without hesitation he slammed his baseball bat into the front window, vinyl, glass and wooden boards splintered out helpless against his pure will. He was peppered in cuts after shimming through the glass but could feel nothing, adrenaline is one hell of a drug. Frantically he attempted to block the shattered window, he could feel it now, not the pain but the nausea. His body tremors helplessly, "F-Fuck.." He couldn't think about this now, he had to move. How long had it been? Two weeks? Four? Symptoms of withdrawal were starting to show.

There was a shuffling, unsure of itself, then the cocking of a gun. His eyes widened, he turned to face the sound, he dropped his bat, hands raised. "I'm not one of them!" There was no conviction in his voice

"I don't fucking care, you need to leave." A woman with long blonde hair, dark roots slowly strangling it. Her stance was wide and firm, rooted in place. "Every one of them in a 20 mile radius are going to be running here now because you!" She took a decisive step forward. Blood seeped from the man's sides, His blue collared shirt turning a dark brown, he smiled helplessly, it figured.

"Fuck you smiling for!?" She searched his body "Did you get bit?!"

"No, I broke the window on the way in. It's just funny, is all." She furrowed her brow making a face of disgust "Its just I spent years trying to become numb, killing myself, the most pleasant way I knew how. Now I'm trying so hard- so fucking hard to live and it'll ultimately come down to you shooting me, or worse! Having a fucking seizure because I haven't had any liquid courage." He spread his arms out wide motioning towards the bottles of untouched liquor surrounding her, just behind the counter. His face was turning red, his chest tight as he angrily huffed out the words. Black spots began to cloud his vision, tears streamed down his face, and he put his hands down clenching and unclenching his fist.

He wheezed helplessly. "What's your name?" He voice became soft, sympathetic.

"Jamie Horton." He breathed

"Nice to meet you, Jamie, I'm Alyssa." She had started to cry too. Jamie lowered himself to the ground, slowly, the barstools and tables were pressed against the front door, nothing to help him down. He wrapped his arms around himself.

"Before this all started, I wasn't much of a prize." He began through labored breathing, "A terrible boyfriend, I could hardly pay my rent, the last time I saw my little sister I was locked outside my parent's house in the middle of the night." He shuddered, a sudden chill remembering it. "She was eight, she didn't deserve to see that, hear me curse them out." Alyssa lowered her gun, she reached down looking for a first aid kit.

"I thought I would get better, if i gave up cold turkey, I might somehow, win them back. My family, my friends." His face was pale, he was sweating profusely.

"Then this mess kicks up."

"I- I can't help you, Jamie." Alyssa whispered helplessly, A saccharine smile crossed Jamie's features.

"Just listen, love." She nodded obediently

"Can I get you a drink?" Her voice broke

He shook his head, "What's the point? I'd rather die like this than become one of them."

Alyssa went around the counter, The soft murmur of the undead a white noise in the background of her consciousness, she sat next to Jamie, and took his hand. Through labored breaths He told her his story, resting a head on her shoulder.

Twenty minutes later he started convulsing violently, his whole body shuddering and shutting down. She tried to give him chest compressions, keep him alive, but it was hopeless. Tears clouded her vision as the world around her fell into silence.