Have you ever felt alone? Times that feeling of being alone by 10,000 and you might get close to the feeling I, Jack Schwarzenegger, and my three comrades are feeling, besides the 475 million of the walking dead in this country. In my group there are four; Nora, Xavier, Jess and myself. We were put together based on our various contributions to the military. Our families are most likely dead, unless they somehow reached a refugee camp in Europe. We are searching for a cure while trying to survive. Xavier and Nora are the medical geniuses; Jessie is a pilot and accomplished marksmen, and I was a military leader and have the highest degree in hand to hand and gun combat. I may not be as athletic as I used to be. I am 37, 6ft. 1 in. tall and have jet black hair that is graying, blue eyes, and I am wearing torn jeans and an old Nike T-shirt. We are the last known people alive in the United States of America and this is our story.


I am Running, why? Because the border south of our home has been infiltrated by walkers and there are three chasing me. Our “Home” is actually an abandoned mansion with protective barriers around two acres of land on a bluff in redwing Minnesota. We have been living there for about a year. I have only a bow and I am alone because my group is out scavenging for supplies and food. I have an idea and sprint through our home, jump off the front steps, and turn around, bow raised, here they come. In the blink of an eye I whistle two fatal arrows into each of the zombies head. Perfect. I turn away and start walking when the third walker whom I’ve forgotten, zips through the door and pushes me down from behind and goes for my neck. I pull out a knife and stab him. Just in time. “That was close” I say out loud. I cut through the house and pick up some tools to repair the wall with. I continue running, this time towards the southern border. Now I have an assault rifle and take out any zombies in my way easily. Our wall is 10ft. tall and contains barbed wire, car parts, such as hoods and trunks, splintered wood and guard towers mounted with lmg’s on each of the four corners. I spend the next hour repairing the wall.


Fifteen minutes after I have finished, my group returns through the north border. The northern border has the only gravel road out of our home. The south is blocked off and the east and west lead to cliffs nearly a foot from the wall. “Did you find any supplies?” I ask curiously
“Yeah we were pretty successful, we got a few rabbits, squirrels, a deer, some canned food, and some tools from an auto shop. “Xavier replies. “Jess and I are going inside to look more in-depth. Nora and I are left alone.
“Any encounters” I ask.
“Nothing but a few walkers” she said, her red hair glowing in the moonlight.
Did you and Xavier find any medical supplies?”
“No, we scavenged a few homes but found nothing and the local hospital had to many walkers in it”
“Hmm”
“Did you have any problems here?” Nora asked
“Yes, the south border had a gap in it… I think it might be time for us to move.”
“Really?! Out in the open? Where will we go? What happens if someone gets infected, hurt, or worse?”
“That is a risk we have to take, we cannot stay here any longer without being in constant danger and are getting nowhere in your cure searching’s.” I tried to say as firmly as possible.
“Ok, whatever” she replied angrily and stormed away.
I walked inside our home, noticing that is was now getting late, latched the door, and decided I would inform the group tomorrow morning.



I slept lightly and dreamed of life and family before the virus. Nora and I had lived in a modest home. Our parents strongly encouraged that we be in the military and sent us through camps nearly every summer. The year I turned 18 my mother died of cancer. Pa got really depressed, started ignoring us, became a drunk and eventually committed suicide. He was only 51. I went to college for eight years and had really good grades for each of those eight years. Two years after I had been promoted to major general and was 30 when the virus hit. I had been living in North Carolina and my sister lived in New York, luckily for us, it hit the west coast first. I remember watching the news in amazement and almost disbelief of how fast it spread and the effects of it. By the time it was in Texas I had been briefed that there was no hope for the general public to survive and that there was a group of 10 people being put together to keep our race going and look for a cure, I was invited, I requested that my sister come along, and they accepted. Most of our group is now dead and we are the last ones.



I woke in a rush. As always, being the early bird, jess was already awake and making breakfast, she was making scrambled eggs and was wearing shorts and a black Metallica t-shirt. I greeted her, ate, and started packing my gear. By this time Xavier and Nora were awake. Jess and Xavier looked curious of my doings; it was time to tell them.
“I guess I will get strait to the point?” Nora looked worried.
“Good, now that we are all together, I believe that it is time to leave, we are getting nowhere with our research and the local population is becoming increasingly aware of us being here, you all should start packing your gear because I plan to leave today.”
No one said a word and they all packed in quiet disbelief. It took about two hours before we were fully packed and after we were packed, we went out the mansion, walked down the steps. We started walking towards the north border in complete silence, went out the gate for the last time and ventured into the unknown…