I scrape a small clump of beans from the bottom of a can, wishing I had taken the time to warm them over a fire.

It's been a few days now since I reached the outskirts of Atlanta. I knew materials would be scarce but this can of beans being the only food I've found since arriving is alarming.

I open my backpack and shove the empty can in, I've been meaning to try hooking up a noise trap next time I settle down for the night, guess I gotta start somewhere.

A clattering noise in a building nearby makes me jump. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and half-walk/half-run to a car overgrown with plants that sits nearby.

I peek over the top of the car, please don't be bandits, please don't be bandits.

A shadow moves across the storefront, cloaked in darkness. It approaches the windows, then a few seconds later it bursts through the glass with a loud shatter, sending the companies logo splattering onto the ground.

Relief washes over me, it's not a bandit.

Its a four legged creature, about as tall as the average person. Created by one of the last countries during the great war. I'm sure they have an official name, but I call them Lurkers. Because- well, they lurk.

The encounters I've had with them have been mostly peaceful, except for a time in Washington D.C when a swarm of them chased me up a skyscraper. I made sure to add a note in my journal after that about them being aggressive in packs. Really aggressive.

This one seems to be alone though, so I back away from the car, then continue down the street while keeping my eye on the creature.

I hear it sniffing the air behind me. The urge to turn around hits me but ultimately goes ignored. Maybe looking it in the eyes would make it see me as its alpha.

...Maybe that only works with canines.

Then I hear a set of footsteps behind me, and another...then another.

I run.

The footsteps grow louder, and closer. I don't risk a look back, all the cracks in the road make a trip up too likely. Theirs a bank to my right, but it looks like the doors are chained shut. Ahead of me at the end of the road is a hotel, perfect.

I speed up, at a full sprint now. My backpack bumping against my back, the empty can tinging against some other metallic object. A few moments later I reach the hotel doors and bash into them, expecting them to swing open freely.

Ow.

I shake the doors, locked tight. Crap.

The Lurkers close in behind me, this time I glance back. They look a lot scarier in chase mode. The creatures eyes glow with a yellow color, long claws scraping along the road with every step, probably meant to stir up hysteria among soldiers back in the war.

I back away from the doors, take a deep breath, then ram into them shoulder first. They move slightly, but don't open. I do it again, nothing.

The Lurkers are almost on me now, at least 6 of them. They growl with a deep rumble like what I imagine a dinosaur would sound like. Great, now it feels like a pack of raptors are chasing me.

I bash into the door one last time, nothing. I stumble backwards, my shoulder filled with searing pain. Leaning against the door awards me with one last look at my attackers before they reach me.

Suddenly a series of loud cracks erupts from down the street, my ears start ringing after the second one.

A liquid splashes onto my face, covering my eyes and turning the world dark. I fold up into a ball and bury my face between my knees. The gunshots continue.

I hear footsteps, then a growl, a gunshot, and a whimper. The last lurker must run away because I don't hear another gunshot.

"They're gone," a voice says.

I lift myself off the ground, but find myself still blinded by the liquid which I can only assume is lurker blood.

"Here," the voice says as a rag touches my hand. "Clean yourself up."

A few seconds later I've got the blood wiped away, allowing me a view of my rescuer.

It's a man around my age, 18 or 19. He has the dark red liquid on him too, that last kill must've been close range.

Black hair is swept across his forehead, messy and caked together with lurker blood.

"What's your name?" He asks.

"Flynn"

"Ok Flynn, My names Levi. What brings you to Atlanta?"

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"So you grew up in a bunker?" Levi asks.

"Yeah, up near Washington D.C, apparently everyone thought my Dad was crazy for having a bunker, but then..you know."

"Everything changed," Levi finishes.

We walk down a long road, weaving between abandoned cars and trucks that have been left in all sorts of conditions. Some are parked neatly and remain in somewhat good shape, while others are strewn across the road, doors left open and covered in dents. Occasionally we pass one with a skeleton, or bullet holes. Sometimes both.

"What about you?" I ask. "What's your story?"

He sighs. "Well-" Levi stops mid sentence and ducks down by an overgrown car. I do the same.

"What's happening?"

Levi puts a finger over his lips, that's all I need to know.

Hisssss

The sound comes from up the road, it sends shivers bolting down my spine.

Footsteps appear, they can barely be heard but are definitely there.

The footsteps grow closer, with their approach comes a new sound. A raspy, labored breathing.

The footsteps stop.

Levi taps my shoulder, then puts his palm flat to the ground, I assume this means to keep low. Then he waves his hand telling me to follow.

Slowly, very slowly, we make our way around the car. Once we reach the trunk Levi holds out a hand, I stop and crouch beside him. Whatever this creature is I've never encountered it. I'm completely in the dark here.

He puts both hands on the trunk of the car, then peeks over it. The weight of his hands push the trunk down creating a screeching sound.

Levi curses under his breath as whatever stands a few feet away from us let's out a bloodcurdling screech.

"Run!" He yells.

We dash out from behind the car, sprinting down the road at full speed. Behind us the creature can be heard bashing a car out of the way, letting out a terrifying roar in the process.

Footsteps bound behind us, approaching quickly. I look back for a split second and see nothing.

Then in what seems like less than a second a creature materializes out of thin air, it slams me to the ground knocking the air out of my lungs.

Now fully visible, the creature screams into my face. Sending small particles of saliva splashing onto me. It snarls and bites, barely missing my neck.

Suddenly Levi appears next to me holding what looks like a bag of sand. He throws it with a grunt and watches as it hits the creature and bursts, coating it in a thin layer.

He takes his rifle, takes aim, and blasts a round into the creatures face. It recoils, jumping backwards and landing on a rotting taxi.

I watch as the creature fades from view, now I see what the sand was for. The creature itself is invisible, but the sand glistens faintly telling Levi exactly where to aim.

It jumps from the taxi, it's arms outstretched with terrifying claws protruding from its hands.

Levi shoots again, nailing the creature in the mouth. A blast of dark red blood shoots from the creatures head, it shrieks and slams into the ground leaving a blood smear behind it.

It writhes and snarls for a second longer before Levi stomps it's head, killing it instantly.

I'm on the ground where the monster had me pinned, now in a sitting position. Adrenaline still surges through me.

"What....was....that?" I manage to get out in between breaths.

Levi ejects an empty shell casing from his rifle and chambers a new one, then slings the weapon over his shoulder.

"I call them Stalkers," he says while stretching out his arm to help me up.

I get to my feet with his help, then he continues.

"The military used them in the war overseas, and here to defend the president and other high ranking officials."

We continue walking down the road, a little slower than before.

"Are you ex-military?" I ask.

Levi never responds.

————————————————————————————

A few hours later we reach a wooded area, it's a little deeper into Atlanta but still no-where near downtown.

I set up a fire while Levi trudges into the woods looking for food.

After getting the fire going I rummage through my backpack and pull a few cans I collected plus a coil of string to set up an alarm. Around halfway through my struggle to set it up I hear a gunshot in the direction Levi went.

By the time I finish setting it up Levi comes back though the woods, carrying a rabbit in one hand and holding the rifle sling in the other.

"What's that?" He asks.

"Oh, uh," I scratch the back of my neck. "It's supposed to be a can alarm."

He makes a noise that I can't decipher, then gets to work setting the rabbit up over the fire.

We sit across from each other at the fire, him spinning the rabbit slowly.

"You were right, about me being ex-military."

I look up from my journal, surprised by him opening up so suddenly.

"Really? Where'd you, you know, serve?"

I notice a look on his face, a passive pain. Whatever he saw while serving must have been bad.

"In the beginning I was deployed to Ukraine, but when things got bad in China I was sent there.....then when they found out about the bombs," he stops, focusing only on turning the rabbit for a few seconds. I can tell he's avoiding details.

"We were in the air when the bombs hit, somewhere between Europe and North America. When we landed....everything was gone. '

"I'm sorry," I say, knowing nothing I can say would help.

"Yeah, well....the past is the past," he takes the rabbit from the fire and tears two pieces off, one for me and another for him.

We sit in silence while we eat. I alternate between adding a section for Stalkers in my journal and taking bites of meat. Levi stares into the fire, barely touching his.

"Thanks, for saving me," I say awkwardly. "I don't mean to be rude, but, where are we heading?"

He blinks a few times, finally breaking off eye contact with the fire. He must've been deep in thought.

"There's a settlement not too far from here. Gate City. Lots of people there, and opportunities," Levi says. He sets his meat down and lowers himself onto the ground, using his backpack as a pillow. "We'll leave at dawn, get some sleep."

I put away my journal and lie down, counting stars until I finally pass out somewhere around one hundred and fifty.

================================================================================

THE PAST

"Flynn! Flynn wake up!"

My eyes flutter open to chaos, smoke fills the air and an orange glow bathes the rooms walls. My Dad stands over me, a look of panic on his face so intense it sends chills down my spine. He lifts me out of bed and carries me out of the room, into the main area of the bunker.

"Get that door open!" I hear coming from the other side of a door on the far end of the room. Followed by banging and clanking.

Dad puts me down and runs into the supply room, returning a few seconds later with a backpack. "take this," he says. "take it and hide over there," he points to the island in the kitchen with a trembling hand.

I run over, barely able to stand straight from the weight of the backpack. Just as I reach the island a loud bang comes from the door, followed by a screeching sound as it slides open.

Multiple pairs of footsteps rush into the room. "On your knees!" A man yells.

I hear a thump as my Dad falls to his knees, following the mans order.

A last set of footsteps enters the room, walking slower than the others.

"Nice place you have here Mister," An older sounding man says. "How much food you hiding away?"

What sounds like someone spitting appears from their direction. Followed by a metallic thump. My Dad yelps in pain and falls to the floor.

Their is silence for a few seconds, then the older man says: "Kill him, search the place."

I hear a click. Then at the top of his lungs my Dad yells. "Flynn! Run!"

I hop off the ground and sprint towards the exit, as fast as I can manage with the heavy backpack on my shoulders. I reach the door...and hesitate.

A crack echoes through the bunker. Ringing bursts through my ears, I look back to see my Dad motionless on the floor. The men looking down at him.

In seconds I'm up the stairs and running for the tree line, thoughts racing through my mind. What will I do now? How do I survive?

How will I go on after the end?