June 24, 2025; Clay nearly missed as his axe caught the edge of a shelf stocked with folded shirts. However, the blow was still solid enough that he heard the zombie skull crunch, but it wasn't enough to kill it. The blow sent it into another row of shelves knocking their contents onto the floor as it tried to right itself.

  Clay could see the other zombie rounding the shelves, nearly to him and he ducked under its wild lunge and using his shoulder, flipped the zombie into a counter holding a soft drink dispenser and several coffee and tea brewing machines.

  He pivoted and swung at the fucked up zombie that just managed to extract itself from the shelves. His axe blade nearly cut its head completely off its shoulder's as it instantly crumpled, black ichor pooling out of the wound.

  The other zombie scrambled off the counter as shit crashed loudly to the tile floor. Clay stepped forward and with an overhead chop buried his axe into the zombie's head, all the way to its neck as it hit its knees. Black ichor flowed from the remains as he kicked the body away from him. He turned towards the doors at the back of the store.

  He cleared the two bathrooms and then made his way into the store room, but it was empty of zombies. He took his time and placed what he could in his spatial storage space. And still gathered up two large bags of foodstuff he placed next to the door. Cautiously looking out the door for anything dangerous before hurrying over to the ambulance.

  It had wrecked into a Dr. Pepper truck and as he got near he could see a zombie stuck in the driver's seat, pinned from the looks of the folded, mangled front of the ambulance. He didn't move in immediately though, instead, he carefully worked his way around the ambulance until he was fairly sure there wasn't another zombie in the ambulance or near it able to get to him when he opened the doors.

  He made his way to the passenger door that was already open and easily dispatched the stuck zombie driver. He opened the back doors and as the rain droned down on the top of it as it picked up in intensity he gathered two large, black duffel bags with a red plus sign on them full of what medical supplies the ambulance contained. He had already taken all the over-the-counter medicine inside the store and he knew that at any time they could need it to save their lives, or at least make it easier to get over a minor infection or a cold.

  Satisfied with the two duffel bags, and with rain streaming down his face he rushed back to the store's doors where he had left the other supplies. Once inside he caught his breath and after wiping the rain out of his eyes took a camouflage bone collector ball cap that was hanging near the door on a hat rack. He decided to take a carved walking stick sitting in a bin with others, the store obviously catering to the hiking trails nearby. The one he picked was about five feet long and had a squirrel carved out of the top of it.

  "Oh, that's perfect." He chuckled as he slipped the walking stick through the handles for the bags of supplies and the medical bags, and hoisted the stick onto his shoulder so the weight was hanging just behind him and all he had to do was hold the walking stick. This let him keep his axe in his hand as he exited the store and started back to the overpass.

  As he made his way through the woods he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he heard a twig snap off to his left. Instantly his head snapped in the direction of the sound.

  And looked right into the cold blue glow of a Zombie Lord's eyes as it opened its disjointed jaw in a roar.

  Clay dropped the walking stick and bags of supplies as the beast charged at him. He dodged one swipe of the black claws on its fingers and managed to knock the second swipe wide as he managed to swing his axe enough to cut a seven-inch gash across its rib cage as it went past him.

  The damn thing planted its feet only three yards away and reversed its momentum. It had leaped at him, and both large clawed hands extended out to slash his flesh as it intended to tackle him. "Eldritch Bolts!" He said instantly hurling all three orbs into the zombie's face.

  The orbs slammed into it, and Clay watched the Zombie Lord's head explode and it's body jerked sideways a little bit, causing it to hit him sideways like a wrestler and Clay slammed into a tree from the impact but managed to stay on his feet only thanks to hitting the tree or it would have knocked him on his ass! "Where the fuck did you come from?" Clay asked as he cautiously looked around for more zombies. He didn't see or hear anymore so he picked the supplies up and continued towards the overpass.

  The temperature was still around forty, and with the drizzle and slight wind, it was in the mid-thirties at best. It wasn't getting any warmer even though it was near midday as he walked back under the mostly dry campsite. He could see everyone anxiously waiting for him. The camp was put away, and everyone's bags lay at their feet, including the one Clay had left sitting beside where he had been on watch. He was using it to sit against.

  Jill and Tonya immediately moved to help him with the bags of supplies and as they took them he said, "Divide these supplies up between you. Dawn, I grabbed what I could put in those two bags out of a crashed ambulance, you'll have to go through them. I'm not sure if anything is even useful." He said as he pulled the walking stick out of the handles and sat down on a piece of concrete, he summoned a coke out of his storage space, popped the tab and took a drink.

  He looked at Luke who seemed frightened for some reason. He was only a few feet away and Clay narrowed his eyes as he inspected the man's wounds. He held the walking stick out to him and said, "Here, you're going to need this I think."

  Luke stood up and tested it, an odd smile spread across his face as he saw the carved squirrel on top. Clay could have sworn he was taller and said, "Are you getting shorter?" He looked at Dawn and back to Luke. "You need to eat more."

  Luke nodded, and managed a "I will." Then he limped around the nearly dead fire to stand right in front of Clay. "I need to thank you, Mr Clay. My sister told me what happened..." He glanced past Clay in the direction of Hope's bisected remains. He took a breath and continued, "I might never be able to repay you for everything you've done to help us since we met you." He waved at Clay to let him finish as Clay started to respond.

  "No, listen, we would have fucking died several times over if we hadn't followed you. And we both know it. Hell, we fucking survived two nukes only because we followed you." He shook his head. "I don't know how, or why, or even how to describe it. But I know you're going to fucking make it. I've always been good at reading people Mr Clay. I will follow you. I ask only that if I die, please look after Dawn."

  He looked at his sister and back to Clay. "I'm done being weak. Thank you for giving me enough time to figure that out, Mr Clay. Because I'd surely be dead right now otherwise." He looked at the walking stick and gave Clay a lopsided grin. "Thanks." Luke extended his hand.

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  Clay nodded and shook his hand. Then gave him a big grin as he replied in a low almost conspiratorial tone. "Look, Luke, you see..." He placed his hand on his shoulder and pointed at Dawn who was busy sorting through the duffel bags he had brought back. "Your not allowed to die man. I really think you're... sister doesn't like me very much anyway. And if you were to die." He looked over at Amy, who seemed to be lost, a numb look on her tear-streaked face. "How do you think she'll handle that." He gave his shoulder a little reassuring squeeze.

  The man seemed to understand what he was trying to do and gave him a great full understanding nod. Clay turned, taking another drink of soda and saw the bags of supplies had already been divided up into everyone's packs. He still couldn't believe they were brother and sister. He'd thought they were fucking married but looking back now he could understand now why they never seemed to be sleeping together. He felt like an idiot for not putting it together sooner.

  By the time he finished his soda, Dawn had finished and handed the bags off to Sigrid who took them without complaint and everyone shouldered their packs and walked to the edge of the underpass. He turned and looked at them. "Okay, this is how it is. We can't trust anyone. Nobody is going to help us." He took a breath.

  "I expect to be home in five to seven days depending on what the fuck has happened along the way. I don't expect it to be easy." With that, he walked out into the cold, dreary mist. He wanted to keep moving, even if just for a little while. That was that much closer, and besides, there was no need to be out in the elements when abandoned houses sit everywhere.

  They traveled the rest of the day and saw nothing of note, choosing to stay in an abandoned house near the highway. Clay and Jill quickly dispatched the three zombies inside. Luke had struggled a little at first but soon figured something out because the man kept pace with everyone without them having to slow down any.

  They had passed through Eureka and just past Six Flags theme park Jill spotted a cosplay store off the interstate and Clay finally agreed to at least let her look for a decent mace. He figured a few minutes wouldn't hurt. He didn't expect for her to bring him a usable bearded axe replica. The handle was slightly curved and only about two feet long, but he actually liked the feel of it.

  She had found a flanged mace and a legit short sword. Luke took two spears just a little taller than him and a long dagger. Dawn took a set of fancy-looking throwing knives and a long knife. Sigrid found a bandolier that held various-sized daggers and a short spear. Tonya on the other hand took a fancy to a club that looked like it had grown naturally from whatever black-colored wood they had used. Clay knew it wasn't native to the states whatever it was.

  All in all he hadn't minded the small detour or the hour for a quick raid on the Wall Mart to get Sigrid a decent pack from the sporting goods section. They grabbed some other camping supplies that none of them could believe were still in the store. Almost all the food supplies had been scavenged already but not much else had been grabbed.

  The next day saw several weird things, they came to a stretch of interstate that Clay had a bad feeling about. He noticed that the highway was oddly clear of vehicles. They had all been pushed off the road and looked like they were heavily damaged. He didn't like the feeling that stretch of highway gave him so he decided to go around. Even though it cost them time, he figured better safe than sorry. He didn't want to deal with another fucking giant bear. Or whatever the fuck it had been eating on!

  Clay was surprised to find an overturned Bradley, laying on its side with a fucking puncture through one side. There was lots of dried blood inside but no bodies. Clay just figured they were eaten or turned into zombies and wandered off. Clay sent Jill and Tonya inside to search for anything useful and they brought out three XM7 rifles and nine large metal boxes of ammunition.

  Clay put them in his spatial storage space. Even though using them now would be tantamount to suicide, you never knew. He figured even if they took up a little space, if they did ever need them at least they'd have them.

  As they moved through the woods and across side roads a minor highways he got to know a little about Sigrid as she spoke softly with the other women. She was a 22 year-old foreign exchange student from Norway. She was in the States to study engineering and see a little of the world.

  She was trapped in the woman's dorm until she managed to escape three days before seeing Clay kill the mutated bear and the way Jill and Tonya interacted with him. She had been weary at first, but when she saw the three Beastmen tracking her she had decided to take a chance and seek their help. She was stuck in a foreign country, and while she had survival skills she had learned while in her country, a lot of which were universal skills to have. But she wasn't familiar with the flora and fauna of the states.

  She could build a fire with pretty much nothing, knew how to find and make clean water, set snares to catch smaller animals, and even process them. To tanning the hides. Clay was impressed with what she knew. But finding the Bradley wasn't the weirdest part of their day.

  Around two in the afternoon, they came across a field of half-frozen bodies that belonged to the local militia in this area by the looks of their gear. Not far away lay the large corpse of a mutated cow, half-eaten. Carrion birds with glowing red eyes squeaked and flapped as they gorged themselves on the carrion.

  They eventually worked their way around the dangerous area without much more excitement and continued along I-44. They kept to the wood line as much as possible, even passing over a couple of small bluffs and outcroppings to stay out of the open road as much as possible.

  About an hour before dark, they heard gunshots off in the distance to their left that made them pick up their pace, even Luke, as they hurried along an open area that spanned a few acres before more woods started. A small utility shed sat next to the wood line attached to a small power substation.

  They could hear something very large coming in their direction and all of them hurried to get inside. For the next forty minutes, they hid in the shed as whatever the hell it was made its way past them, the ground shaking with each step. After it moved far enough away he was confident they could resume their journey without drawing its attention he said, "I think we need to put some distance between us and whatever that is."

  Nobody argued, and as they filed out they heard more gunshots and screaming from off in the direction the beast had gone. Whatever it was roared ominously. They pushed on, making good time even though they traveled an hour after dark, to a white-rimmed green sign that read Sullivan. Clay picked a house nearby and in short order, they were resting inside.

  Dawn was checking Luke's bandages as he set up the small Colman camping burner so Jill and Tonya could get something cooking when she asked him, "What are you going to do when you get home?"

  Conversation with him since his babysitting comment had been rather scarce unless he initiated the conversation. Except for Jill and Tonya. For once she didn't seem to be pissy toward him and he didn't want to be rude so he said honestly, "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it much. First I have to get there." He motioned to the outside. "It's been a few years since I went to visit."

  He found himself thinking about his and Jake's last fishing trip before his brother had been hit by a drunk driver and burned up in his truck. Her voice brought him back from his thoughts.

  "So you haven't thought about it?" She gestured to the outside like he did, "Seriously?" She started to chuckle. "So, any family waiting for you?" She asked this very hesitantly as she finished wrapping Luke's leg. Neither Amy nor Dawn was able to heal it any more than it had been.

  Before he could answer Luke said, "Dawn, that's none of our business! I'm sorry Mr Clay, don't mind my sister's curiosity." He had seen the look that flashed across Clay's face briefly as she asked the question.

  "I just want to know if that's why he's so hell-bent on making it home." She said exasperated at being scolded by Luke.

  He waved at Luke, "It's okay." He wasn't going to tell anyone that he was heading to a shelter his brother had built, supposedly full of supplies for the end of the world. "No, nobody is waiting for me." He didn't hear the dead tone in his voice. "My sister Glinna was on her way and had made it to Missouri a few days before we did."

  He didn't notice everyone looking at him differently for a moment. He didn't notice though. He was staring at the flickering candle flame. He was soon fast asleep.

  Ahh, so nice. He was sitting in a meadow of wildflowers. No wait. That wasn't right. He was sitting...

  And there was someone warm and soft in his lap. It felt nice. He hadn't felt like this in...

  His eyes snapped open and he carefully looked down. Tonya's silky black hair and a green pointy ear poked out of a blanket that covered both of them. His left hand had absently cupped her thigh and he found himself thinking about other things before he shook his head and gently said, "Tonya, wake up." As she opened her green eyes rimmed with the reddish haze in all Orc eyes, they had no white's. She looked at him and gave him a sultry, mischievous look that caused things to stir. "Uhh, what are you doing there?"

  Without missing a beat she replied slyly, "Sleeping." Then she coyly poked his chest with a slender finger, seductively running it downwards as she raised up to straddle him. He wasn't expecting her to grab his engorged cock as she leaned into his ear and whispered, "Unless you have a better idea?" She bit his earlobe, eliciting a yelp from him. "Shh! You'll draw attention to us." Clay was completely caught off guard as Tonya nearly had his belt undone.

  "You cheating bitch!" Came Jill's accusing voice. She was standing in the doorway, her silhouette visible in the early morning light. "We had a fucking deal. Neither of us would make a move until we made it to Clay's home." Clay had an oh shit moment as his brain stopped working for a moment.

  A deal? What the fuck had they agreed on? His brain wasn't firing on all cylinders as he panicked at the tone of Jill's voice.

  And in a blur she was standing in front of him and Tonya, both hands seized onto the blanket as she prepared to jerk the blanket off them.

  "Clink."

  Tonya had gotten the belt loose as she gave Tonya a challenging look.

  Clay gulped, his brain finally turning over as he realized Tonya wasn't stopping. It was like she was purposely pushing Jill's buttons, and fucking with him!