The air in the Hellscape seemed to be much heavier than the surrounding areas, clinging to the travellers lungs with desperation as it weighed them down. It was a forest devoid of all life, no birds sung sweet melodies in the trees, nor were there any land animals such as rabbits and squirrels to hunt. Only the undead roamed here, and they couldn't be counted as 'alive'.

The first and only encounter Jesse had experienced with one of the undead happened when he was only 8. It was one of his memories he had kept clear in his mind throughout the years. 

In his childhood, he and his sister Violet lived in a city to the south by the name of Auslen. Although Auslen was long gone now, it was still alive in Jesse's memories. Unlike the mist-covered landscape of the Hellscape and Zostrar, Auslen's air was bearable and a luxury in comparison. It was a relatively wealthy city, many retired politicians lived there and it was well protected by guards who resided there. 

Jesse thought back to his childhood: to sharing a comfy bedroom with Violet growing up, his mother's homemade soup for when they got sick... and the day his father gifted the camera which he now clutched in his hands. 

It was the same day of his meeting with the undead. 

Some merchants from other cities were coming to trade with Auslen. They came a week late, the majority were dead and the few survivors of the Hellscape had unknowingly brought one of the undead with them. A week before his birthday, Jesse had been oblivious to the danger which the merchants had brought into his safe haven of a city. Wondering out to the small pond near their house, he started to play with the tadpoles without a care in the world, not suspecting one of the undead to appear from nowhere. 

When he looked up, it was staring back at him from across the pond. It was a woman (or had once been) with pale green skin like that of a dying grass, it was missing large chunks of hair in numerous places on it's head. It's ghost-white eyes were glossed over in a haunting cloud and it had elongated fangs over its bloody lips. Part of it's ribs were sticking out and it bore a large gash in the side of it's neck, blood dripping down it's body.

Jesse had never seen anything like it, frozen in fear when he should've bolted. 

It lunged.

It screeched like a desperate, dying animal and grabbed Jesse's ankle, who had just turned to run away then. Upon closer inspection, the undead's fingers were bleeding and parts were hanging off, attached only by a thin layer of raw skin. 

Before it could bite him, it stilled as Jesse's father shot it through the back of it's head. 

Jesse saw it's face mere inches from his, still maintaining a small growl as pieces of brain, skin and blood splattered on Jesse's face. It's now bleeding eyes rolled to the back of it's head as it fell on top of Jesse, suffocating him. Jesse was hyperventilating at that point, the undead still thrashing and twitching uncontrollably from the forced of being shot, Jesse started to panic, mistakenly thinking it was still alive before his father yanked the body off of him. 

He must've blacked out after that; the rest was a blur. The only memory of that day he remembered after, was his dad giving him an early birthday present: the camera. 

Little did he know that the camera would be the last gift his father ever gave him.

Jesse was forcefully yanked from his daydream as he tripped over a root on the ground, face planting to the floor with a yelp. He heard a tired sigh from above him and looked up to see his guide extending a hand with a mentally exhausted expression. 

With a grin, Jesse took the hand and said, "Aw thanks!" Before he heard a gruff noise and felt the hand being yanked away.

Pouting, Jesse turned behind him to see Violet and Naoko a few paces behind him, eyeing their surroundings with distaste and distrust in one gaze.

Deciding not to bother them, Jesse pranced up to his guide's side, who was clearly trying to stride ahead and avoid conversation. The man was significantly taller than Jesse; his head only came up to the older man's chin, so when talking close to him he had to tilt his head up.

"So Mr guide, what's your name?" Jesse enquired, breaking the silence with his hands behind his back, probably not a great idea seeing how he had just face planted a few moments ago.

The man ignored him, so Jesse continued, "Mine's Jesse if you wanted to know mine first-"

"I didn't." The man replied sternly, not even glancing at Jesse.

Flashing a smirk of achievement, Jesse exclaimed, "So you can make conversation! That's great, y'know cause' talking is one of my favourite things to do. Do you know that before the virus there used to be moving pictures called movies? They used to make zombie films kinda like the reality we're living today! My dad showed me one he managed to find when I was younger, it was about a guy who was the last man on earth except from his dog, he fought against things a bit like the undead. But the dog ended up dying! I was so sad I cried for the next day-"

"Carter." A voice gritted from next to Jesse.

"Huh?" He questioned.

The man sighed again, more auditable now, "My name is Carter, will that shut you up?"

"Nope!" Replied a grinning Jesse.

Carter looked at Jesse for the first time voluntarily, with a questioning glare and eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"So Carter, ever seen a real movie?" Asked Jesse.

He thought Carter wouldn't answer for a few moments before he replied quietly, his voice laced with annoyance, "I don't like making conversation."

"Hmm, that's ok I can do the talking for you if you're shy~" Jesse smiled sweetly at him. 

Carter picked up the pace again into a brisk walk, "God you're annoying, I hope you're friends aren't like this as well."

Jesse took that as a misunderstood opening for conversation, "Nope! Fortunately for you I'm the only chatty one here, along with my razor sharp wit of course!" Jesse prided himself.

"The only thing razor sharp about you is your ability to make those around you annoyed." Carter spoke harshly, "Seeing how you tripped earlier and your complete obliviousness to your surroundings, you wouldn't last one day in the Hellscape on your own."

Jesse didn't take the hostile words to heart, he had always had that affect on some people, ever since he was young. 

He said slowly this time and a bit quieter, "Yeah, but I'm not alone... you're our guide, Carter."  

Carter stopped for a minute. Jesse watching him turn around and thought he was going to reply to him before he announced, "Let's set up camp here for tonight."

Jesse looked up. Although it was hard to see far above the trees because of the thick fog, it was true, the sky had gotten darker.