RipTideIt was 6 months since the world went up in flames.

It was 3 months since I ended up in

the small camp called Haven, and I was in labor for 2 hours before the baby I have been carrying
through this disaster was ready to come.
The contractions came harder and faster, I made my way to the infirmary with the help of
Tommy, he was trying to keep me calm, but then my water broke, all over the ground, all over him. I
could feel it warm and dripping down my legs. The look of terror he had on his face somehow
looked even more intense and more distraught.
The sweatshirt that I have been wearing for the last few months is dirty, ripped, and no
longer smells like lavender laundry detergent that I had found in an emptied out gas station. It
smelled like dirt, blood, and body odor. Suddenly I felt it again, another contraction, they were getting
worse, they came faster, they hurt worse. Why couldnt John be here to hold my hand? Why couldnt
I be in a clean hospital with a real doctor, and pain medication, and water to drink?
More pain.
More contractions.
I passed out.
Everything was fading in and out, going darker and lighter like a light burning out. All I could
hear was, We're going to lose them both if she cant wake up.
Everything was spinning, spinning, the room is turning, black spots threatened to cloud my
eyes and I almost went under one more time. But a voice I could hear a voice that sounded
just like-John. I thought that it was all a dream, that I could wake up, and the pain is just the baby
kicking. I was in shock, disoriented, and desperately wanted the world to go back to the way it was.
Lyric, please, Lyric wake up, its time to deliver the baby!
When I finally came to Tommy was standing over me, fanning my face with an old dirty
folder. I can remember the old dirty thing, it was no longer yellow. I remember seeing dirt from the
folder flying off into the air. Tommy wasnt not JOhn, and the agony that I was feeling was
definitely not the baby kicking.
Tommy where am I?
Lyric, thank God, Youre in the infirmary, the midwife is coming back, something is happening
out in the camp, please try stay awake!
I can clearly remember Gunshots going off outside, there was screaming and hollering.
Tommy clutched my hand, I could see tears forming in his eyes.
Tommy please, Im okay, I really am. I knew that I wasnt.
Another wave of pain caused me to screech, I could tell the baby was coming.

I had to push, I needed to get that baby out, all remember pushing as hard as I could and
Tommy begging me to wait for Marissa, the midwife, to come back..
Marissa did not come back, and she wouldnt Be coming back.
She was probably caught up in what ever was going on outside and got attacked, getting her
insides ripped out of her body cavity. She was probably screaming for one of our scouts, but
honestly, I dont think they stopped to help her, she was already long gone, and they were probably
leaving as fast as they could. And so I can imagine, the undead continued their violent assault and
greedily shoved ripped up entrails into their rotten mouths. They never stop to focus on anything
else once they get a fresh kill, and they most likely continued to fight over the squirming body,. This
is what Kept them distracted when I delivered my child.
I took matters into my own hands when I realized the midwife wasnt coming back.
Lyric obviously wasnt going to wait, shes a very stubborn woman. But when I could see
that the baby's head was crowning and I changed my mind about her pushing, I knew the
baby wasnt going to wait and I wanted to get this all over with.
Please, Lyric, I change my mind, I need you to start pushing, hard!
I had no idea what to do, all I knew about delivering babies was that you needed to
make sure the mother didnt bleed out afterwards and spank the baby to make it cry. But
nothing prepared me for what I was about to see.
We had been through everything together after I found her in the woods. I held her
through the morning sickness, migraines, swollen ankles and cravings that made her go crazy,
and even though I didnt have to, I stuck by her in this hell, because to be honest. I think I
fell in love with her the minute I saw her.
I ran into her when she was about three months pregnant, it was quite obvious then.
She was alone, and trying to fight off a pack of lurkers by herself with a baseball bat.
Anyone who wasnt in her position may have left her there, and anyone in her
position would be known as a liability to a group. At that point in time with the world so
messed up as it was, no one had time to take care of a pregnant woman, let alone a child
that would draw lurkers from miles around with their constant fussing and crying. But I still
held on to what little humanity I had left and decided I had to help. and Im glad I did.
I ran in like a mad man, screaming and hollering at her to get down. I was probably
covered in dirt and looked like a killer, but the screaming was to make the lurkers turn
around and direct their attention towards me. I was terrified as the three shuffled
towards me, but I managed to kick a small one back while stabbing the other in the head
with a bent up kitchen knife. I took care of the third one with a whimpey .22, and like an
idiot I forgot about the first one that I sent flying into the mud. It was slow to get up, but it

was fast to grab my leg when I tried to run over to her to she if she was alright. Then the
tables turned and she ended up saving me.
Long story short I couldnt reach my knife and she was able to get it before he got
me. But after an awkward introduction she allowed me to take her back to Haven, our
camp, I think she was glad just to have found someone.
SHe told be about her husband that had never made it home, how she waited and
waited in the city until it was too overwhelmed. Out in the country where Haven was, was
probably the safest place at that point. No people meant no Lurkers.
But I never imagined that I would be delivering the baby, I thought they were going to
make me leave because its kinda a woman thing. I didnt think I would want to leave, but
now I really wish that Marissa had come back.
When the baby came, all I could hear was Tommy sobbing no, over and over. I heard
moaning,, but everything was oddly silent for a room with a newly born baby in it, there was
no wailing or crying. I could hear a light smacking noise but that was about it.
I sat up and tried to gather myself, Tommy, whats wrong? Hows the baby? I want
to see my child! I was exhausted, out of breath and there was still pain lingering in my
abdomen.
Tommy spun around sobbing, as he turned I could tell what happened. He was
holding the child delicately in a dirty blanket that he had found. The umbilical cord was
wrapped around the babys neck, it was also extremely small and deformed. Its small body
was a dark pink, its eyes fused shut with thick flaps of blue and black skin. This would
explain the spotting, the pain, the early contractions I had during my pregnancy. I gave birth
to a child that would have died in this world, fuked up or not.
My eyes filled up with tears, that was all that I had left of John and the baby had
no chance of living. No No, Tommy give me my baby!
No, Lyric you dont need to see this this is terrible. This is fucked up, this is
wrong.
LET ME SEE MY CHILD! I screamed at the top of my lungs, I tried getting out of the
cot to forcibly take the child. I was desperate to see it, I dont know why, but I needed to
hold it.
The child was moving, opening its mouth, gargling. But this was not a babys gurgle,
this was nothing like a new born.
The baby was born dead, and then reanimated into what the world had become
infested with.
Monsters.

Chapter 2
We stayed in the barn for a few days, the moaning outside got quieter and quieter.
But still, I was in no shape to move. Devastated I said nothing, hunger, thirst, the need for
sleep, everything was dulled. That was my last hope for a piece of John, half of him and I
was the genetic makeup of that child. And now, it was sitting in a box in the corner, making
unusual moaning noises.
Many times I had gotten up to look at it. The blue black skin that covered him from
head to toe was slimy and glistening when it was first born. But now its skin was cracked
and flies were starting to buzz around him after 2 days.
Neither Tommy or I had the heart to put him down I think we both were
considering to just leave him there.
When I decided it was time to leave Haven I wasnt sure where we were going, but I
couldnt bare to be in that room any longer,, there was nothing left there for us. Being
trapped was driving me crazy.
We cant stay here any longer. I looked up to see Tommy staring at the wall, Im
okay to move now, Its been a few days, we need to get back into the city.
Tommy looked over at me with a gaunt look in his eyes, How are we going to get
out, this place is crawling with the undead at the moment, no one has come to get us, were
as good as dead Lyric. He looked utterly defeated.
I got up and pushed my way to the door. I looked over at the box that held my
undead child. JOhns undead child. Thats when I had decided that enough was enough. It was
cruel to keep it there like that, stuck in a dirty box with flies and maggots.
I pulled the dirty hoodie over my head and placed it over the small infant before I
smashed it head in with a brick. I dont really know what I was thinking or why I had decided
to dispatch it so quickly. All knew was that I couldnt sit there and listen to the smacking
noise that it was continuously making. It was almost like killing just another lurker.
I turned to face the dirty looking door that lead out into the barn/infirmary, I broke
down into tears wishing that John had never left. I missed him, I needed him.
About two months before the nuclear fallout and the bombs, John was stationed in
south africa studding a new form of medicine that was being made to prevent children in
remote places like In Africa from getting malaria. But the day he was supposed to come
back was the first day I saw my first lurker, the day the infection spread through the land.
I waited and waited for him to get home. I was hopping and praying that it was all a
mistake and that the government would fix it. But John never got home, the government
never fixed anything, and I was left alone.

I heard Tomy behind me, Lyric, please wait, I dont think its safe enough to go out
there.
Of course I ignored Tommy and opened the door.
The infirmary was a gaunt looking place, it was an old barn left by whoever lived
here before. No one, but a few people with medical backgrounds really ever occupied the
space, cleaning it and making use of different stalls as rooms for sick people, however I
was put in the back room, with a door that could lock. Maybe incase for if I died during
childbirth.
Haven was far from what the name suggested, but when Tommy saved me and
brought me back I had nothing to complain about. The women took care of me, the men
made sure I was safe, and Tommy was there with me every step of the way.
The rag tag camp really was nothing but a band of survivors trying to make it in a
world that was unfit for any human to live in. We were truly a breed that had gone soft,
and now we were left to suffer and die off, slowly and painfully. Now everyone seems to
be gone.
Lyric, no ones here, please come back.
Still I pushed through and made my way to the entrance of the barn. When I
opened the door I realized something terrible. The camp was alive with movement, not of
the living, but of the dead. Somehow the camp was over whelmed, but we were quiet
enough to not draw any attention. Shocking due to the fact that I was giving birth to a child
in the process.
I shut the door and went back to Tommy, No ones out there, I think were alone.
Tommy paced back and forth across the room, How the hell are we going to get
out of here?! We have to find a way to put some distance in between us and the lurkers!
If we sneak out the back we can run to the tree line. I went back to the door to
peak out and look at how many there were at the camp. There were so many bodies
shuffling around it looked like there were too many to kill.
Suddenly there was a whinney from the other side of the barn, Tommy's head shot
up to meet mine, No, no way, we cant!
I ran over the other side of the barn, a single stall revealed a big horse, a saddle in
the stall next to it, and equipment to attach to the saddle.
Tommy this is our only way out, so man up and get on the damn horse!

She had no idea what she was doing, she copied what the cowboys did from all the
old movies she watched as a kid. She threw a pad over the horses back and then put the
salle on top. Secured it tightly around the belly and secured some blankets and supplies to
the sides. She didnt feel comfortable putting the metal bit in the horses mouth so she
made a bitless bridle. She knew a little bit about all of this because when she was younger
she wanted to work on a ranch, but instead her parents encouraged her to become
something more civilized as they would say.
Tommy looked at her appalled, Im not getting on that thing. No way, no how, you can
forget it.
Lyrick looked over at him and she got up in to the saddle, she looked down patted
the horses shoulder and made sure he was okay with him being on her. Without any
complaints she looked back at Tommy, Get on the horse or die here alone.
Really? Are you kidding me?
Im pretty damn serious.
*

*
*
*
*
It took some coaxing to get him up onto the horse but he did it, I felt bad for getting
irritated with him, our lives were in danger but he was scared too, after all that happened I think
we were both in shock from the major change that just entered our lives.
It took us a while to get away from that horrid place, we traveled the whole day until it
started getting darker and colder. I couldnt tell what month it was but I thought it was sometime in
September or October.
Lyric, we have to find somewhere to stay tonight, otherwise were going to be out here like
sitting ducks.
I accepted that we needed to find shelter and patted the horse's neck, he was probably
tired too, Alright, lets go just a bit further and see what are options are.
We had originally made a break for the tree line when we left, the horse had alerted the
rest of the hoard that inhabited the camp so we got as far away on the road as we could before
they could swarm us in the trees. The horse was way too large to be maneuvering though there, let
alone with us on his back.
Choosing to travel along the roads was dangerous, out in the open, and usually covered with
walkers, although we got lucky and missed the big herds, we still came across a few stragglers that
were quite ready to bite our arms off.
We found out the horse was gun shy the hard way. Tommy and I both got thrown and the
horse just barely made off with the supplies.
Coming up on the road there was a small gas station, looking back at Tommy I gave a small
smile, I guess we found ourselves a five star hotel with free meals tonight.
Tommy grunted and slipped off the horse, I bet you tonights pay its picked over and
crawling with rats.

He offered me his hand so that I could get off with ease, knowing he would prefer this
rather than me jumping off I took his hand and allowed him to help me down. Youre one crazy lady
you know that Lyric?
Have you ever known me to be sane Tommy?
Touche.

Chapter 3
I clutched the bat firmly in my hand before I went in, if there was something in there I didnt
want to draw out more from the surrounding area. Before entering the run down gas station I
knocked on the door a few times.
Tommy, what in the hell are you doing?
I looked over at Lyric and gave a little smile, Just being polite.
Suddenly a body slammed into the broken door, then a second, and a third. I put myself
between them and lyric and let them out, one by one, staggering and drooling they made their way
over to me.
Ones body was so rotted it only took one swing for me to crush its head in, that dim light
vanished from its eyes and I knew that it was out of commision.
The second one was fast and it rused me with stiff power that was clumsy and dopey, I
kicked its leg in using my boot and shoved a large knife through it temple.
Let me take this one. Lyric jumped out and swung the butt of her gun, it came crashing
into the last zombies face with a loud sickening crack. It fell to the ground in a matter of seconds.
Nice job killer. I smiled at her again.
Lyric gave way with a small grin, I really hate these things you know, they smell, they get in
the way, and they always find away to rip another person out of your life literally. Lyric went
into the gas station and propped the door open, Go grab the horse and bring him in, make sure
he's safe too.
Just as I was about to turn around to go grab the horse I saw a shadow shifting around
the front of the station. Immediately my stomach hit the ground. LYRIC, GET OUT OF THERE NOW!
As soon as I ran forward I saw her swing around just to have a huge rotting corpse fall on
to her and have them both hit the ground.
NO! I launched my whole body at the damn thing, not caring if I was putting myself in
danger or not. I felt my hands squish through flesh, bone, and old dirty fabric as I rolled over and
brought the whole body with me. As soon as it was off of her it was on top of me. I heard its
teeth grinding in my ear, I could smell grease, blood, and rotting meat.
Summoning all my strength I grabbed a small screwdriver from my pocket and brought in up
in the air, then brought it down as hard as I could into the skull of the undead man.
Lyrick are you alright? I rolled the body off of me. You're not hurt are you?

I stared at Tommy in disbelief, I cannot believe he did that, Tommy you could have gotten
yourself killed! The look of hurt in his eyes made me stop.
I need to stop being so hard on him. Im
always hard on him.

I ran over to him and hugged him, PLease, I was fine, I really was, just dont do something
stupid like that ever again.
Tommy hugged me back, It looked like he was about to sink his shattered teeth into your
neck, I wasnt just going to do nothing. I care about you, I would do anything for you.
Suddenly those words seemed to make me uncomfortable. I backed up and sat on the
ground next to him. Can we get inside now? Im starving and would like to see if theres any food in
there.
As soon as we got into the gas station we realised something unfortunate. A small child in
the corner who was obviously long dead with a bullet in her head, she must have been trapped in
here.
My heart broke. I thought back to my child and how he wasnt even given a chance at life. My
only piece of John was left rotting in a box with a blanket over it for someone else to find and kill
because I didnt have the strength to do it.
I tried to wait for you JOhn, I really did.
No matter how much I wanted him back I was here with Tommy.
The next two weeks were bleak and hard. There was little to no food anywhere and hunting
was terrible, we tried and tried for anything fresh but eventually ended up eating some ripped up
carcase we found on the side of the road. We cooked it until it was charred and black but we ate
it anyways. I dont think either of us really knew where we were either. The horse was obviously
getting sick and we had no idea what to do. Then something peculiar started happening. signs
advertising the city of riptide, shelter, food, safety, and plenty of room. Tommy and I didnt quite
know what to think about it, but we were starving and desperate, so we followed the signs.
It took us 3 days to reach it before we came upon a large city with walls and guards. They
almost shot us before they realized that we weren't undead freaks. I remember collapsing to the
ground and Tommy trying to pull me up. But I couldnt move any further. And then I heard it.
moaning.

Within the next few moments I felt pulling and tugging, I screamed and kicked blindly, my
eyes were clouded over and everything was spinning around her like she was on a carousel. The
only thing that I could think about was teeth sinking into my flesh and my muscles being yanked
from her bones.
Calm down stop moving Goddamnit!
A voice erupted through the haze, gun shots from pistols and automatics went off around
me, and I could feel someone hauling me to my feet. I tried to stand but I kept slipping from under
myself.
Can someone get over her and take her back?! I cant hold her and were getting Swamped!
Again I felt new hands under me lifting me up, hauling me somewhere, yet I had no Idea
where, I was giving up and ready to just let it all go.
Lyric please hang in there, were getting you inside, they have a doctor please hang on!.
Tommy's voice hung in the air thick like a bumble bee, it buzzed and seemed to float around her
head.
The last thing I remember before blacking out again was screaming, blood curdling screaming.

Chapter 4
Sometimes I dream about home, and before everything happened. I dream about john,
about my family, and sometimes I even wake up believing that everything i've been through the last
6 months is a nightmare that I still have to wake up from. However every morning I wake up Im still
thrown back into reality, and yet Im lucky to be alive in a world where everything that ever
mattered to me was sucked away in a riptide.
Two days after I collapsed before the walls I woke up in a room that smelled like bleach.
There was an IV in my arm and I was dressed in an old night gown. There was a dirty looking
folding chair in the room and specks of dried blood on the walls and floor.
As soon as I tried to get up and leave a man walked into the room carrying a clipboard and
a small pencil that had obviously been used and sharpened again and again. Thats kinda how I felt
like, a worn down pencil, dull at the tip.
Hello, My name is Adam, your friend informed me that your name was Lyric and that you
were very sick. He sat down on the folding chair and crossed his leg over his other. You had an
extremely high fever as well as being dehydrated and lacking in nutrition. I would also like to ask you
mam, have you recently been pregnant?
My heart caught in my throat and my eyes watered a bit thinking about it, Yes, about a
week ago, I ended up having the baby stillborn
His sympathetic eyes made him look more like a person than a doctor, Did you have
anyone with medical attention see you?
No, our camp became over run with those things and we ended up leaving 3 days
afterwards.
Lyric when the others brought you in here to me you were with another man, was he from
the same settlement?
Yes, although I dont see why that would matter.
The doctor shifted a bit, Well hes been requesting to see you and attacked one of our
guards when we refused to let him in, he's currently in a holding cell in the government building.
Would you like me to call him-
All of a sudden a man with a long beard and a pink stained patch over one eye burst
through the door crying and yelling thankgod.
The man that I never thought I would never see ever again ran back into my life. Little did I
know I was in for a surprise.
JOhn and I sat there in that room crying and talking to each other for what seemed to be
forever. He told me about how he escaped from the airport with a group of people where they
survived for a while but eventually the whole place became over run. Then eventually they ran to
the country where everyone else ran to because of how terrible the cities were overrun.
I looked at him wide eyed and still in shock, I thought that I was never going to see you
ever again. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and he wiped away my tears gently with one hand.
I was never going to stop looking for you no matter what, I brought back so many people
into this establishment and asked every single one of them about you but you never turned up.
JOhn squeezed my hand, I didnt want to believe that you were gone.

I cried even more when I began to tell him my story, how I hid in the apartment for as long
as I could until I was starving and forced to leave. I told him how I had Boomer with me until he ran
off one day and I never saw him again. I talked to him about how I almost died and then Tommy
came along and saved me.
Tommy where was he?
Frantically I asked John where he was, I came here with a man named Tommy, do you
know where he went?
I dont I can figure that out for you darling, but try not to worry about much please, youre
very ill. John gave me an odd look.
I just want to make sure hes okay.
John spun around and called out the door for a nurse, he looked like he was hesitant to
leave me like I might jump up and run away.
As he came back and sat down next to me to hold my hand what looked like a blood
covered nurse walked in and spoke to the both of us with no bedside manner whatsoever.
The man you were traveling with was bitten on the had and we proceed to amputate the
hand. However he is unconscious and has lost a lot of blood, we think hell make it. She then
turned and walked out of the room.
My stomach hit the floor, I was in complete shock.
I passed out again.
When I came to I was in a different room and it looked to be in the evening as the sun
was setting. The place was furnished nicely with two couches and a chair. When I heard footsteps
entering the room I tried to sit up and see who it was. I have to admit I was scared until I
remembered that John was here.
JOhn was here, I was still in shock.
As he entered the room he came and sat down by me, The doctor told me that you were
carrying a baby but that you lost it is this true?
The immediate question hit me with a force and caused my throat to constrict. Yes yes
this is true. John, when you left I realized that I was pregnant and didnt want you to worry about
me, so I was going to surprise you when you got back but then the bombs started dropping and
I had to leave. About a month ago I was ready to have the baby, but something went wrong, and
he-
Please, Its alright. I dont want you to have to think about that right now.
I was glad that he made me stop, I couldn't bare to think back to the undead newborn that
we left in the barn.
Anyways, I had the nurses bring up Tommy so that you could talk to him for a bit, and
then I was going to take you around and show you the City.
A sudden knock on the door interrupted, Sir, I have brought the patient up as you have
asked.
I will never forget what Tommy looked like when he walked in through that door, beaten,
bruised, and His left hand was missing, all there was in place was a bandaged stub. Suddenly filled

with grief and regret I tried to get up see him but he already ran over to me and nearly crushed
me with a huge hug.
I can remember tears rolling down my face when I looked up at him, Tommy what in the
hell happened to you?
He wasnt crying but he definitely seemed to relieved to see me, Well long story short you
passed out as I was trying to get us to the wall, and the next thing I knew we had Lurkers behind
us. And although we had help from scavengers that were in the area they swarmed us and one of
them took off part of my hand, next thing I know this crazy man thats yelling at us to run inside
looks over and gives me a wild look, then bang, he chopped off my arm and ran me to there
infirmary.
Horrified at how non affected he looked like that I was questioning whether he was sane or
not, Tommy thats terrible, are you sure you're alright?
Tommy sat down next to me and hugged me again tightly, I watched his mutilated arm
disappear behind my back. Lyric Im just glad that Im alive.
As I looked past his shoulder to gaze at the wall, all she could see was John glaring at Tommy, as
if he was a criminal that had committed the worst of crimes.
Well, Tommy is it? Lyric is still very sick and needs time to rest, I'm going to have Bulldog take you
to your job assignment here in a bit.
I saw the look of anxiety on Tommy's face, Johns blunt speaking sent him into a protective mode,
And who are you?
JOhn laughed and seemed to ammit a look that I had never seen before, it was a harsh, menacing
look that screamed get out before I kill you.
Shes my wife And by the way, I should expect that you would show the president of Riptide a
bit more respect. And with that Tommy was taken from the room and sent to his new living
space, away from me, for the first time in 7 months.
Chapter 5
It was true, I was glad that I was alive, in fact, I didnt wanna live more than at that moment
when the lurker got my arm. All I could think about was getting Lyric into that wall and getting her
help. I just knew that leaving the barn was going to do her in. But I couldnt imagine staying in that
room any longer with that child.
In all honesty I was ready to care for him, I was going to be there for the both of them and show
her that I was more than capable when it came to taking care of both of them.
Losing my left hand is definitely a shock, but Im alive and the pain is ebbing away slowly.
As soon as the doctors thought that I was healed enough they sent me out to work in the garden,
they opted to put me there because with no left hand I couldnt hold a gun properly to keep lurkers
off the wall. Working in agriculture wasnt bad, but what was bad was how everyone was living.
I wasnt allowed to enter anything higher than 3, but I lived in 1, right next to ground Zero.
This city seemed safe, but under wraps there were gangs, territories, sick people with no where to
go, and theft was always abundant. The streets were covered in litter and trash, and usually those
that didnt make enough credits to have any real resources usually slept out in the open and
waited for another job to come by. I really wondered why these people never left, it was hard to
live out there by yourself, but it was just as hard in here.

After days of not seeing Lyric and wondering why no one left I had that question answered for me
while working.
JOhn was in control of everything, but there were supervisors for agriculture, wall guards, the
government building, and Levels 3 and 4. There jobs were not only to run the sectors, but to keep
everyone in line and inside the walls.
Meaning that if someone was thinking about leaving, it was there job to report who. I made the
mistake of talking openly about it and trying to leave through the mucking exit. I was caught and
taken to the government building where I was put under suspension.
There I was questioned by JOhn. First it was only about leaving, then he got into interrogating me
about Lyric.
Why does holding ties to her even matter to you anymore? You here, you're safe, there are plenty
of other people here for you to talk to and court. And why leave? Everything here is perfect.
I could see the fake smile on his face curl up into a grin. Well I went through a lot with lyric, and I
hardly see her anymore. She was the only one that I had when our camp was attacked, its not
easy to just stop talking to someone that you spent so much time protecting and surviving with.
I must have said something wrong because the minute I mentioned protecting her, he leaned
forward and pulled a knife from his boot.
Do you even have any idea of what I had to go through to make this place? Do you know how
many people died in order for me to build this city? Many, you're not leaving here because we need
you people to work and keep this place alive. He slammed the knife down into the table a few
inches in front of my face, making me flinch. BUT, if you dont stay away from Lyric I will dispose
of you.
I was extremely angry but I knew that this wasnt the place to pick a fight. All i could do was nod
my head and leave. But there was two things that I was sure of when I left, I was leaving with
Lyric, and there was nothing that he could do to stop me.
Chapter 6
It took me a while to get used to this new way of life. To be honest I didnt really introduce
myself to anyone. I stayed with John and occasionally saw Tommy they already had him working
on their Farm while I was living comfortably with John.
It turns out that John was the head of the place, he ran everything and held enough
authority to put himself at the top of the food chain, and although living with him was comfortable,
watching how others were living was uncomfortable.
On Ground Zero you could hear the moaning of the dead as they scraped against the wall,
people were sick and in tattered rags, although this is where shopping was done by everyone it
was still an empty gaunt space that smelled of death and illness.
Level One wasnt as terrible as Zero, but there was no security, no homes, and every one here had
unimportant jobs that barely gave them the resources necessary to survive.
Level 2 and 3 were nicer with trailers, security was here to only let people with clearance in and
out, throughout Level 4 there was maximum security and a school that all children 5 to 18 were
allowed to attend. ALthough it looked more like a daycare, and all the teens were either non
existent, or working to gain enough food for the next week.

Overall it looked like a happy place, but in the shadows there were terrible things going on that no
one should experience.
One night while I was out walking I came across an opening in the gate where there was an open
ring. inside there were sick men fighting off lurkers. others were gathered around chanting and
throwing credit sheets at each other, JOhn was standing in the corner with the head of the Wall
Guards and several well known scavengers, handing them stacks of credits.
When I turned my eyes back to the ring one of the men had fallen.
I knew that it was already too late for him, three lurkers had him pinned, two of them viciously
loomed over his upper body, tearing out chunks of dirty flesh from his neck and face.
As he kicked and squirmed the last one fell onto his lower half, quickly sinking its teeth through rag
and skin, penetrating muscle.
The screams of that dying man echoed through my head as I ran as fast as I could to Tommys
shelter. I remember bursting through the tin door and retching on the floor.
Whether it was the running or the gore that made me sick, Tommy knew something was wrong, and
I knew that John was not the same man that I had married.
It had been a month before I started working with John, although we had been apart for so long, we
were together and happy again, almost like normal until he brought up the idea that I should forget
about Tommy.
Lyric, we have to leave, something about this place just aint right and Ive got a feeling that doesn't
sit right. Tommy had that look in his eyes, he was terrified, Lyric John told me that if I weren't
anywhere near you he would dispose of me.
Right then and there I knew what he meant, my heart stopped, my ears had a buzzing noise in
them, everything in the world seemed to stop moving and shudder as if even the devil from the
depths of hell couldn't believe what she was about to say.
Tommy, hes feeding people to Lurkers.
Within the next few seconds there was commotion outside, people screaming and gunshots kept
going off, then I was grabbed from behind and pulled out of the shed backwards by a man, two
more ran into the Shed and tackled Tommy to the floor.
I found myself backed into the wall, people were screaming and trying to run from ground 0 into
level 1. Wall guards were running around trying to keep others out, caught up in the mess, it was
JOhn who had grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me towards an ally.
I swear to God Im gonna kill you, you little bitch!
Startled I punched and kicked at him but he dug his fingers into my neck hard, he wasnt letting go.
I tried to kick and get him off me, but he grabbed me by my neck and threw me up against a wall.
Do you have any fucking idea what I went through to build this place, how many people I killed to
keep you all safe?! And how do you repay me? Sneaking around behind my back with that other
man and planning to escape??
I choked and sputtered, the dim lights of torches set a blaze made it hard to see what was
happening around me. I tried screaming to alert someone I was being attacked, but nothing could
escape my throat.
Well Ill tell you what you little whore, you not going anywhere, Ill just give you the convenience of
being killed right here.

I was going to die, right then and there, my ears were ringing, everything was spinning, there was a
great pressure in my head, bu lungs screamed for air. And then I fell to the ground, John had
turned around and started firing his handgun. Next thing I knew, bodies were shuffling through the
smoke and ash that was flying through the air, somehow there had been a breach in the wall, thats
why everyone was running.
I watched them get closer and closer, JOhn was a terrible shot and in the end only a few went
down, with in seconds we were surrounded by Lurkers.
First they grabbed JOhn, he slammed into the ground screaming and fighting, a horde is nothing to
mess with, he should have just ran.
I struggled to get up and move, my eyes were locked on the man that I used to love, lurkers biting
into him and ripping out whatever they could grab.
When I stumbled to get up I alerted a few of their attentions, but at this point I was in no shape to
fight. I moved as fast as I could, rounding corners and trying to get back into the main street.
Another man rounded up behind me, hard and fast, grabbing me and telling me to run.
I tried to pick up the pace, in the dark I couldnt tell who it was, but they had blood dripping down
their arm, a lot of blood.
Were going to the farm! Stay close and dont let them get near you Lyric!
I recognised that it was Tommy's voice, HOw did you find me? and where did all the lurkers come
from?!
We rounded another corner full of lurkers.
Shit! They came in from the South wall, Lyric we're going to have to push through them.
Tommy there has to be another way!
Lurkers were already shambling down the road behind us in a frenzy.
No Lyric we have to go through them.
Before I knew it he was dragging me into the mass of lurkers. Punching and throwing them out of
our way. I didnt think we were going to make it until we hit a break an didn't stop running. Tommy
Pulled me past a barn and into another ally. I feared it would be filled with more lurkers, but it was
empty.
I was so full of hope.
This is the only other way out besides through the government building. This is why they locked me
up for a week when I mentioned leaving.
They locked you up?
We broke through the chained door and opened it up into the outside world. We checked both ways
to make sure that there weren't any undeads walking around.
Tommy turned towards me and grabbed my hands, Lyric he was going to kill me if I didnt leave
you alone, but I didnt want to say anything because I thought you were happy with him. I mean, you
found him after all this time. I assumed you would want to be with him.
Tears formed in my eyes because it was true. I was so happy to see him but he wasnt the
same man that I had married a year ago.
He changed, he was different somehow. He tried to kill me in the alley Tommy, when the others
came in and grabbed you.

Anger flared in his eyes and he gripped me tighter, when I looked down at his arm I saw blood
dripping everywhere, at that moment I saw what had happened.
Oh my God Tommy, your bit!
He looked at the ground, I saw tears dripping down his face. Lyric I need you to run away from
here as fast as you can. Im going to lock up the building and keep all the Lurkers inside so they
cant get out and follow you.
Before I could even protest he flung himself back through the door and shut the chainlink fence on
me and locked it so I couldnt run back in.
Tommy please you cant do this! We can find you help!
I wanted him to come back desperately I couldn't make it without him.
Lyrick you know theres no cure to a bite, please try to understand Im doing this because I love
you.
And with that said he kissed me though the chain link fence and ran back down the alley, back into
the swarm, back into Riptide.