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Is it still right to say "Oh my God?" I think so. It doesn't feel any different to say it. What would feel different now...?

I just shot my best friend.

I looked at Aaron's body in my arms. Cold, lifeless. Eyes empty. I didn't have the courage to close them for him. Maybe part of me hoped he would magically spring to life and do his ridiculous laugh again. At least his eyes were empty and not mad. I'd whiped the blood and drool from him earlier and now sat in the middle of his backyard cradling him in my arms. His face was clean.

Mine was not.

Slient tears rolled down my face pooling on my chin and cheeks and eventually falling onto his ripped shirt. It was riddled with holes. Bulletholes. From a gun that was his own, that was held in my hand. There was also a slash of blood on my left cheek. His.

We had heard growling....

Dad, what's wrong with Brugger?

...Dad? Hey, Dad! DAD!

What the hell?

We went upstairs where we found his dad dead in the kitchen, with Brugger chewing through his stomach. Brugger looked up, snarled at us and ran at Aaron at the top of the basement stairs. Thinking quickly, I pulled him into me with one hand and slammed the door closed with the other. We could still hear the dog on the other side; snarling and growling. Aaron was in tears, just crying. Not saying a word. It hurt to see him like that, I had never seen him cry so hard before. He started saying how sorry he was, I didn't know what about, until a loud splintering was heard at the top of the stairs. I looked; the door had bent under the dog's force and was going to give soon. Though I was in a daze from the rush of events, I drifted to the back room where is dad kept hunting weapons. Never locked. Bag on floor. Handgun, loaded. I grabbed the weapon and drifted back to Aaron (If I had been faster, could I have saved him?). He sat on the ground, still sobbing. I crouched next to him and grabbed him in what may have been a hug if either of us were thinking properly.

Then the door splintered.

Brugger tumbled down the stairs, and I pulled Aaron to the side to avoid him. Still crouching, we stared as Brugger regained his senses and....

Aaron moved infront of me. Brugger collided with his chest, fangs sinking deep. Aaron yelled loudly, and without thinking I fired a single shot into Brugger's skull; which shattered on the other side with brains and blood. Aaron was still crying, except now out of pain too. I grabbed the bottom of my shirt, talking to him the whole time, and began to sop up the blood.

He calmed down after an hour and had started to reminisce with me about his dad. We didn't know where mom or sister were. We had moved outside to the trampoline and were laying on it. Until he turned to me and said...

You know you're going to have to shoot me...right?

What the hell are you talking about?!

Zombie Surival Guide...remember?

Aaron, you're not turning into a ******** zombie...I won't let you.

Things are getting hard to see...fuzzy kinda. ...But I'm not scared.

Aaron...

You've been my best friend for so long, Cloud. What would I have done without y-you?
We both had started to cry.
Kite...
I don't know anyone else I could say this to...I love you...not to be weird..

Kite... I don't want you to die. Who else can I jump on a trampoline and listen to videogame music with? I-I love you too...heh, not to be weird.

Live...Cloud....Live. For you and me. Hah, ha, for the...living. I'll see you...l-l-later...

He closed his eyes; and I started to sob. Then bawl. I stood him up aginst the edge of the trampoline....

And fired three shots into his chest, all at his heart.

And I cried. Cradling him aginst me. Wondering where the hell I go form here.

Chris threw the sub-machine gun into the back seat. He was surprised by how few zombies there were. They only saw two on the way to Emily's.
"I guess the infection hasn't developed too far-spread yet," he told Drew as he stuck Gidget into a hard turn, gunning up a hill toward his love's house. As they turned the corner he saw her standing on her driveway, bow in hand, arrow knocked. Her hair was mostly in a ponytail behind her head, but a few strands were waving in front. She had a look of determination on her face. She let the arrow out of the bow as the Jeep stopped in front of her house. She nodded and jumped into the back seat.

"Where are we going?" she said, eyes twitching.

Chris smiled and slammed the Jeep into gear, turning around, tires screeching.

"Going to Bartos' house."

Emily sat in the back seat, facing backwards, bow and arrow in hand, ready if the should need it. "Jordan can take care of herself for a while, I know she can." She turned and looked at Drew. "Brad first after we get to Bartos'. We need him. Then we'll get Jordan, okay?" She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

After what felt like an eternity, but was clearly only an hour, I stood and righted myself. It was past time to mourn, Aaron told me to live. To survive.

And I would.

I went to his basement, making quick work of loading every duffle bag in his house with every weapon I could find. A plethora of hand guns, shotguns, bows and arrows, crossbows, knives, machetes, rifles, a wrench, a crowbar, ammo for all weapons, and even a sub-machiene gun I was unaware he owned. I couldn't help but laugh to myself. He would.

I loaded all my weapon bags into the large white H1 Hummer in his drive way. He always did like this one best. Then I went back for more. I loaded every backpack and bag in his house with dry foods. Cereal, candy, Pop-tarts, crackers, cookies, beef jerky, Spaghetti-O's, rice, etc. All of it. Then those were loaded into the generous trunk space of the hummer. Next was drinks (alcoholic and non) and cold food loaded into every cooler his family owned. Those took longest to load. It wasn't until I was done that I looked at my work. It was strange to see his house still so full of things except food. After deciding to load his clothes (which fit me fine) too, I knew what was left. The second most important items.

First I grabbed their chargers, then the items themselves. His IPod and his phone. I even carefully placed his DS and a 360 controller into his last backpack, which was actually his green sidepack. Then came the the most important.

His dogtags.

I had never seen him without them once he got them. Without a second thought I placed them gently around my neck and streightened them.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Blue gets these. I promise."

"And thank you. So much. I'll come back for you too, I promise."

I finished my work by dragging his body, his dad's, and Brugger's into the barn and locking it, pocketing the key. When I turned around Remi was staring at me with solem doggy-eyes. "I know, girl, I miss him too." She whimpered and ducked her head. "C'mon, follow me." We walked out the gate to his drive way and I climbed on top of the H1 like he always used to do when he would wait for me to arrive. Remi layed by the back wheel and we stared down at Bethany Road. Cars zoomed by, perhaps unaware of any pain yet, and certinly unaware of mine.

I sat, eyes closed, trying to calm myself. It was time to live.

Until I heard a car rumble up the drive...

((all right all right, Chris, keep your shorts on))
As soon as Jordan got off the phone, her mother appeared. She didn't seem to be her normal evil self, something was different. Jordan knew she had been outside just a bit ago, and she had seen someone else out there with her. Just then her mom flew at her in a rage not like her. Jordan grabbed her keys and ran out the door. She jumped in Princess and made her way to Wal-Mart to get something to defend herself with.

And the sobbing started again. "I-I know..I know man, I know," I said through desperate gasps for air in my heaving. I pulled Chris' head closer to me.

"I know...G-God damn do I know. B-b-but y'know what his last words to me were? He told me to l-live. And I will. F-for him. And you have to too. W-w-we n-need t-t-to...!" I couldn't go on. Seeing Chris like this and having him like this with me made me miss Aaron that much more. Flashes of memories blazed through my head. Inside jokes, times at Culver's, times at his house, band, sharing life with each other. I hadn't known life without that man in 7 years. And I thought I never would have to know it again. At least I had Chris. He'd seen me through before, and he would again.

"L-look," I said, pulling him out to see me eye-to-eye, "We're surviving. He gave his life for me so I'm not wasting it. A-and neither can you. We've know each s-since the first day of first grade." I managed a weak smile. "We're going to see this through."

Then I turned to the rest and pulled Chris back to me. I knew he'd be listening anyway. He still had tears to offer to the lost. I explained to them what I had packed: every scrap of food, drink, real guns and ammo, and odds and ends I could find.

"We should take both hummers. I'm driving this one," I said, using one hand to motion to the white H1, "and I'd feel best if Chris took the black H2. I managed to find six walkie-talkies to use so we can always keep in contact. I also managed to hook up the hitch on the H1..."

On the hitch was the Bartos' flatbed that held two ATV's and a Rhino. "I don't really care if you think it's too much. Too be honest with all of you I don't give much of a flying ******** about anything at the moment except that all of you are okay.

If you have somewhere else to be, fine. Make off. But I'm going to my house and then Rachel's to deliver something she deserves. She... hasn't responded to any messages. I want to stay with you, but I promised Aaron. And I never break a promise to anyone.

Ever.

So that's where I go. For Aaron."

I looked all my friends in the eyes in turn, then went to the front of the H1 and retrived my red duster. I had just ordered it online and it looked like Vash the Stampede's from Trigun. It had even come with his glasses. Aaron told me he really liked the get-up. I noticed someone open their mouth slightly in aprehension,

"I know this is no time for dress up or pretend, but this is who I am now. I will be a human disaster if I have to to bring justice to Aaron."

I knew it all sounded ridiclous and they probably wouldn't take me seriously. Hell, I didn't even know who to take vengence on. With that, I was finished and stood leaning on the H1. It's white color a symbol for my meager hope in this new world. Chris had climbed down and now they all stood across from me. Physically I was alienated, and perhaps I was going to get the same treatment emotionally and mentally too. My eyes had become hard and I looked at them once more waiting for something...

...Anything.

"Brad," Drew paused, choking on his own words. "I love you man, you have been a big contribution to my life and helped me through a few of our long deep stories, so if this is the end of us some time before I see you in person. I love you and thank you for the life you have been." Drew seemed to pull for a happier moment but could only see the end nearing as he said those words. To say goodbye seemed like something that was just happening, it wasn't real, this was all a dream.

At that moment Drew started up the second Hummer. TJ had gotten out of his car and jumped into the back seat of the one Drew was in. The vehicle shuck as the gas turned on and remained at a low rumble, disrupting the horrible, silent vibe in the air.

“Chris, you know what we had planned. We came, we got what we needed. Like Brad said this is about survival. If you want to stay with Brad to help him out, go ahead but I need you man. You have been what Aaron has been for Brad, I need you with me. I can’t think of not being with you either. Brad you should get in with us too. We are headed north to get Jordan and then we can worry about the dead and their dreams. It is very important to me too but we have to focus on who’s still alive. You would be a great gun to has on our side. All I know is we all need to get going.” Drew said quickly with the up most importance. He couldn’t bare standing still any more. God only knew what was going on now.

"Dude I said they are important to me too. I not in any way dishonoring them. I just would want to do what i hope all of them would want us to do. keep as many alive as we can. His final wishes lie with you and yes you do take good care of them but it is important that we keep our priorities." Drew spoke carefully. He didn't want Brad mad at him or for Brad to misunderstand him at all. He wasn't being selfish in his wants to save Jordan at all, at least no more selfish then Brad wanting to take up this mission of finishing something for Aaron.

"At this point Brad I can't see where you are coming from, I haven't killed one of my friends yet. i am greatly sorry and join in your sorrow for your lost friend but I don't want to have to do that with any one. I don't want to have to hold a gun up to your head, or Chris’s head, or Jordan’s, or any of yours. that is why my first focus is on the living. It has to be If we all want to stay alive. I do understand what is more noble and you will go with my heart as you do this for your friend, but I can not join you in this mission. This is for you to do and it is wise for all of us to get moving and pick up whoever we can, and to stay together. we are all taking this Hummer. It was the plan, Chris can drive if he wants, it doesn't matter to me. I just know where Jordan Lives and could find her better, plus he is a better shot then I am." drew watched Brad. he had never seen him be so blocked, so distant. He wasn't thinking like he knew Brad did and it scared him.

"You know I am on your side man....Please take that back. I cannot look again unless you do. I meant nothing by it and you should know that me, of all people would have respect for what you just had to go through, me.....I am all about respect. You have misunderstood me."