"Shit! Shitshitshit!" I took cover behind the fire escape stair, unsure if I had been spotted. The jagged metal from years of decay scraped up my skin in the process. I breathed quietly, working to steady my pulse. 

Tentatively, I touched the cut; my hand felt damp and warm. An oppressive gloominess filled the alleyway, the crowded building on either side and blocked out most of the ember sky. Shit! My bloodied hand went for my shirt pocket, and a breathed a long sigh of relief when I felt the sweet treasure within. I pulled out the snickers bar and caressed it. Pristine. Worth the risk.  

A blur flashed in the corner of my eye; I could hear a soft rattle echo through the alley. I stashed the snickers bar into my pocket and weaved through the buildings to the center of town. A church came into view as I panted for air and sweat dripped down my body. I sensed more movement as I made my way to the church door.

"Sister Mia let me in; it's Chunk! Hurry! Hurry!!!" I yelled at the Church Door; banging frantically against the withered Oak doors. The pounding echoed through the empty town. I heard footsteps scrape against the cracked asphalt and crowds of what used to be my old townsmen slowly emerge from the shadows. The alley and street corners flooded with their corpses as they hobbled their way towards the church.

I could hear the door unlock with a click "Chunk! What are you doing out there?! Get inside now!" an older woman in her mid-fifties yelled at me. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore a filthy nun's robe. 

I squeezed through the partially opened oak doors to find myself in a candlelit room— the floors were littered with food, wrappers, and cans. 

"What were you doing out there?" Sister Mia had an angry look plastered across her face. "Sister Mia, I can't be cooped up in here forever. I need to go out; I need to see what things are like outside." I replied, rolling back my long greasy black hair.

Sister Mia looked into my green eyes "Chunk, why do you always cause trouble!" A little girl ran in pink overalls, and a dirty white shirt ran up to me. Even in this apocalypse, I never saw a smile as wide as hers. 

"Chunk!!! Did you get it, did you get it!" I smiled at the little girl, "Yes, Lily! I did, Happy Birthday." I smiled and handed over the doll I scavenged. Lily happily took the toy and ran off.

"Did you get anything more useful, like food, perhaps? Or a radio? Medicine?" criticized Sister Mia. I looked down, "No." I replied cowardly.

"You risk your life to get a doll, yet you didn't take the time to get anything useful. You are useless Chunk, and you might as well stay out there. You eat more food than any of us and do nothing." Sister Mia yelled at me. 

"Don't yell at Chunk!" Lily puffed her chest out and confronted Sister Mia. "Child, don't sass me." Sister Mia's brown eyes glared at Lily as she raised a weathered white hand. Lily flinched as she saw Sister Mia's palm.

I grabbed Sister Mia's hand, "Don't." I glared at the angry Nun. Sister Mia hissed. "Everyone lights out." The kids blew out the candles and began to sleep. 

...

"Sister Mia is right; I haven't done much for you guys..." I whispered to Lilly, "That's not true Chunk, you're my family!" She smiled, grabbing my finger in her little hand. "I am going to sneak out tonight; there is more food in the general store. I saw it!" I replied. "No Chunk, don't go!" I covered Lily's mouth as Sister Mia patrolled the church with a dim lantern in her hands.

When she left, I uncovered Lily's mouth,  "Lily, it's all going to be ok. Because you are going to help me." I smiled, and Lily's face lit up. I lifted the only key to the Church, "That belongs to Sister Mia. She is gonna be mad." Lily lectured. I smiled at the little girl "That's why when I leave, you wait by the door and unlock it when I come back, ok?" 

Lily put on her bravest face, "You can count on me Chunk." I smiled at Lily, "I will be back soon." I snuck out of the church door into the empty cold dark town. 

I ran through the town, taking as many sidestreets as I could. Not a single townsmen insight, no matter where you went or how well you hid. They always found you. The church is like a fortress, that is the only reason why we lasted as long as we did.

...

I wheezed for air, and my lungs burned, I looked up to see the general store. After a glance, the store seemed safe. Everything happened so fast that people didn't have time to clear out the store. The moment they would leave their house, death knocked at their door.

I pulled out a cart and loaded it with everything I could find on the list I made. While most of the frozen and refrigerated stuff had gone to waste, there was plenty of canned food and bottled water. I also found pain killers, batteries, toilet paper, and diapers for the youngest.

I rolled the cart out into the middle of the street; I felt a tingle on the back of my neck and goosebumps on my arm as I saw a shadowy silhouette of a dog in the moonlight. It was far away, down the main road and ran out of my field of vision "Only a dog," I held my breath.

...

Lily heard scratching at the door, "Chunk?" She stood up and slowly walked to the door, the floorboards creaked with every step. She took the key and unlocked the brass doorknob. "Chunk, is that you?" She cracked open the door, and through the cracks, milky eyes gazed upon Lily, and rotted fingers wiggled through the door.

...

I rolled the cart gently down the street, every rattle every shake sent needles down my back. "I haven't seen a single Townsmen," I whispered, this isn't right. Then I heard screams in the distance. Those came from the church!!! I left the cart behind and sprinted to the church. 

There was a horde of townsmen crowding the church, "Close the door, Lily!!!" I shouted. But we were too late; the oak doors had burst open. I stood there, frozen with fear. Sister Mia saw me in the streets, "Get the children out of here." Sister Mia shouted, using her body as a shield against the undead. I remained stagnant, unable to move like lead had replaced my bones. "Th~e~y're g~g~getting in." I whimpered.

"Hurry" Sister Mia pleaded, she wailed in pain as she began to get ripped apart. But, it was too late 'they' got past her, and their milky eyes looked towards the frightened children. I saw Lily as her arm was grasped by a rotting hand and slowly pulled her into the chaos; her doll dropped to the ground. I looked away, tears rolling down my cheek and looked back at Sister Mia.

Sister Mia looked at me, her face lit by the moonlight and covered in blood. As the townsmen ripped away the flesh from her body, she opened her mouth in a raspy be voice "Run, run like you always do." She muttered with her dying breath and disappeared into the sea of corpses.  

I cried and wailed at the top of my lungs. Without looking back, I walked away from the church. My cheeks stained with tears tripped on the walkway and hit my eye on the pavement: the blood-stained my vision and a gnarly gash formed on my eyebrow. I struggled to my feet and ran.

I sprinted as fast as I could until I saw the shadow of the dog from early. I ran for a side street and into an alley. I couldn't take another breath, "Dead-end!" I panicked and started jogging back. But I was cut off by a pitch-black beast. It had eyes of a blood moon and the size of a bear. This beast reminded me of the shadow from earlier; it stared into my soul with killing intent that bubbled. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't breathe. I tried to run, but I couldn't stand. I wanted to do something. But in the presence of this monster, I could only tremble.

The Beast approached me at a snail's pace. It opened its monstrous jaw, and ash flowed out. It felt like rusty knives scraped down my back, and hot needles pierced my heart. The muscles flexed in its shoulders and a flash, the beast lunged at me and everything bathed in white light.