text: You get out and take a gun with you. "Hey," you say. The two attackers look over at you. The man tied to the pole can barely move his head. "What's going on here?"
  
  
  "This fine gentleman over here," one of the men points to the beaten victim, "has broken our golden rule. That rule is NO TRESPASSING. And it seems to me that you are also breaking that rule. So I think a punishment for you is in order as well!"
  > You shoot them both
  You won't let the man continue. You draw your gun and shoot both men down. They were at close range, but it still took a few shots. Once they're dead, you go up to the victim. His face is swollen, and his nose is bleeding. He flinches, expecting you to attack him too.
  > You kill the hostage
  You have no interest in dealing with another group member. You put the man out of his misery, and get back in the car.
  > You keep driving
  You begin to get a bad feeling about the place. The empty buildings and atmosphere feel a lot more sinister now than they did a second ago. Your instincts kick in, and you try to drive away.
  
  
  You quickly find that the roads have been blocked off by debris. They're herding you in a certain direction. You can't get out of the car, either, as you start to see other people watching you out of buildings and behind trash cans. In a last ditch effort to get away, you throw the minivan in reverse.
  
  
  As you try to back out, you see something: a large truck blocks the way out. They've sealed the road behind you. A man holding a golf club comes out of a nearby building and starts running toward the minivan. In total panic, you speed down the road, away from the truck.
  
  
  Barbara is gripping her armrests in fear. You would be, but both your hands are on the steering wheel. You drive down the road, exactly where they want you to. You can hear the truck following closely behind you. Suddenly, you drive into a dead end. The way forward is blocked. The truck pulls to a stop behind you, trapping you.
  
  
  You have no choice but to get out of the car. A mob of people has gathered around your vehicle. Your group follows suit, and gets out of the car.
  
  
  "Okay, let's not waste time. Give us your stuff, and your car, and we'll escort you to your new home," barks a large, bald man. The crowd of angry people with their guns pointed at you reminds you that you'll have to speak carefully.
  > You offer a deal
  "We can work this out," you say. The man lowers his gun. "I'm listening."
  > You offer a group member
  You look back at your group. "I'll give you a person, from my group. They can work for you, or whatever you want." The man seems to strongly consider it. You regret making the offer, but it's too late now. You look back one more time. Barbara gives you a look of total disgust.
  
  
  Finally, the man nods. "Yes, I think that just may work. Reginald, clear the road outta here," he says to another. He turns, and looks over your group. "I want the girl."
  
  
  Barbara starts crying immediately. Megan has a look of fear on her face, and Mikey shows nothing but resentment. Two people break from the crowd and grab Megan. They pull her away and out of sight. "Okay," he says. "That's it. Take the little track over there, it'll take you right out of here." The man turns to walk away. "Pleasure doing business with you," he adds.
  
  
  Barbara and Mikey get in the minivan without you, and drive off. Mikey flips you off from the backseat. You admittedly feel terrible. As the crowd parts, you feel terrible for your choice. But you can't go back now. You follow the minivan on foot, until you're out of the slums.
  > ....
  You aren't sure how to feel as you pace up the road, vaguely in the direction of Washington. You feel remorse for your decision, and wish you could take it back. Giving up Megan was a stupid choice. She cared about you, and you would gladly hand her over for your own protection. There's no more time to dwell, though. That affair took up the whole day. It'll be dark soon.
  
  
  you continue up the road, in search of a place to spend the night. About an hour after the sun goes down, you spot something. It looks like a military outpost.
  
  
  It ends up being exactly that. Judging by the footprints and blood, this place didn't last too long. It's only been a few days, and people are dying fast. Not even the military can seemingly stand up to the ever-growing threat of death. You open the door to the trailer and look inside.
  
  
  You are rewarded with another gun, this one a Stag-15. It has a half-empty magazine. Other than that, you find nothing in the trailer. It's as good a place as any to sleep, and it has a pullout couch/bed.
  
  
  You are awoken in the morning by growling. You sit up quickly and look out the window next to the door.
  
  
  Zombies. And several of them. They have wandered up and down the street, surrounding you on one side. If you could get out the door, and past the horde, you could outrun them and head north again.
  > You shoot them
  You load up the gun and kick the door open. The closest group of zed growl, and stomp over to you. You kneel for better balance, and do your best to aim. When you pull the trigger, you are surprisingly accurate. By the time you're out of bullets, you've cleared just enough of a path out. You slip by the trailer and move up the street at a steady jog, away from the zombies.
  
  
  After you've slowed to a walk, you notice another building coming up. It looks kind of like a factory building. It has several floors, is made of brick. Three smokestacks jut out of the building's roof. it seems worthwhile to check out, so you run up to it. You are disappointed to learn that the entrance is surrounded by fencing.
  
  
   
  > You move on
  Picking at the fence isn't worth it. Besides, why waste time here? Your goal of getting to Washington is still the highest priority. You leave the warehouse alone and continue on your way.
  > You what's new?
  You continue to walk down the road as before, this time with a gun slung over your shoulder. You spot a sign telling you that you're still on I-5, on a crash course with Washington. 
  
  
  The sun beats down on you as you realize you are quite thirsty. Hungry, too. The way ahead looks bare. Bare except for a road sign. It tells you that if you continue ahead, you'll reach a small town. Next to the town's name, written with blood, is a small message: COME ONE, COME ALL
  
  
  If you turn to the right, you'll arrive at a rest stop. There won't be food or water, but there will be a gas station (probably empty), and a pharmacy.
  > You check the rest stop
  You make the decision to see if there's anything worth taking at the rest stop. It's a short walk, and if there's any water, you'll gladly take it.
  
  
  Just as you suspected, the gas station has been looted of everything. The cash register, the food, even the toilet paper is all gone. Someone beat you to the punch. Oh, well. You go to check the pharmacy. That has been looted too, but not all the way. A few bottles have been left behind, scattered among the shelves. You take a bottle of painkillers and a roll of bandages. Nothing else really seems useful.
  
  
   
  > You head to the town
  The collar of your shirt is soaked with sweat by the time you spot the town. It's relatively small, and a wall of cars and metal scrap surrounds it. A front gate set on hinges to swing open is right in the middle of the road. Above it sits a guard tower.
  
  
  You are spotted well before you get to the door. You are ordered to get on your knees and place any weapons you have on the ground. You place your gun on the road in clear view of the tower and comply. The gate swings open, and a small group comes to meet you.
  
  
  The group consists of a clean-shaven man, a small boy, and a woman holding a clipboard. "Hello. My name is Rose. Welcome to Fort Z."
  
  
  After the group makes sure you aren't going to hurt anyone, you get your gun back and are welcomed into the community. You are surprised at how fast it went up. It's only been a few days, but the walls are up, and the community is thriving (for now). There is no shortage of people, and homes and buildings have been turned into sleeping quarters, storage, and everything else you can think of. "Well," begins Rose. "It seems like you've come a long way, would you like something?"
  > You what are the rules around here?
  "Well, there aren't many rules around here, because no one seems to be causing any trouble. Just don't hurt anyone or steal anything and you should be fine," says Rose. "Also, don't do anything stupid," adds the clean-shaven man.
  > You who are these people?
  "Oh, jeez," Rose begins. "I couldn't hope to remember everyone's name. But, this is Callaghan," Rose says of the clean-shaven man. He reaches out to shake your hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he says. "Then there's Max," Rose pats the little boy on the head. The boy is hiding behind his mother's legs. "We're kind of like the government around here. Other than that, you can make friends as you wish."