text: [Themes: fantasy, dystopia]
  
  You realize you aren't getting out of this alive without a weapon, and run for the helicopter. The garbage people start to fire back, but that doesn't go to smoothly. Roger follows you into the cockpit, safe from the garbage people.
  
  You scrounge around, and are rewarded with a small handgun with a full clip. Looking at the approaching horde, you realize the garbage people may not even be your biggest threat at the moment.
  
  > fire at the garbage people
  At the moment, the garbage people pose more of a threat to you than anything, you decide. You turn so you can see them clearly.
  
  The leader is approaching the helicopter, so you fire at him first. You were aiming at his chest, but the bullet goes through his arm. It still cripples him, so it's done it's job. The other garbage people quickly catch on, and start firing back.
  
  Your gun's clip has thirteen bullets in it; you manage to kill three garbage people before you run dry. For a moment you're worried that you just made things a lot worse, but Roger passes you another fully loaded clip.
  
  "We keep them under the seats," he explains. "For emergencies." You ditch the old clip, and keep firing. Luckily, the garbage people's guns are louder than yours, and your gunfire combined with the hordes of the dead cause them to eventually fall back.
  
  "There's one problem solved," you say. "Now we just need to get our group back."
  
  "Actually, that problem is also solved," says Roger, pointing into the trees. Conway, Ozzy, and Matthias are running through the trees towards the helicopter. They're being followed by a massive horde. You open the doors as wide as they'll go in preparation.
  
  When the three make it back, you slam the door shut and hide. "Hopefully, the gunfire from that other group will draw the horde," says Matthias. The group sits quietly in the helicopter for a while. Soon, it becomes clear you'll be spending a long time in the helicopter. The dead show no sign of going away, and the growls, while faint, are a bit too close for comfort.
  
  > prepare to spend the night in the helicopter
  Thankfully, the seats of the helicopter are soft enough to lay on. As the sun sets, you lay down. The group agrees to taking two-hour shifts to watch for garbage people or zombies, and warn the others. You volunteer for a later spot, so you can get some rest.
  
  The night drags on, safe but very boring. When you wake up for your shift, it's almost light outside.
  
  "Hey!" you say. "Why didn't you guys wake me up?"
  
  "It was my fault," says Ozzy. "I just took the whole night."
  
  "You shouldn't have done that," exclaims Conway. "You have to fly this helicopter!"
  
  "Uh, not any time soon," Ozzy says, gesturing out the window. It's true. The dead are meandering outside, not too interested in letting you get your fuel.
  
  "Looks like some action needs to be taken," says Matthias. "So, what's plan B?"
  
  > keep waiting
  You keep sitting in the helicopter, with the hopes that the dead will eventually leave. Your food situation is decent, and you're prepared to spend multiple days here if you need to.
  
  "We're really doing this?" asks Ozzy. It's not the best plan, but it saves bullets and effort.
  
  "Yeah, we are," you answer. Outside, it doesn't seem like your plan is working. The zombies are basically stagnant, not even walking around. They just stand there, like a creepy flash mob. You pray for a gunshot, or a plane, or some noise to draw them away.
  
  Finally, Conway gets restless. He gets up, and takes a flare gun from out of his duffel bag.
  
  "Conway, what are you doing?" asks Matthias. Conway doesn't answer, but goes for the helicopter door. The rest of the group moves to stop him.
  
  "Get off!" Conway yells. "I'm not gonna sit and wait any longer! Y'all want a distraction? I'll give you one!" Conway yanks open the door, attracting the attention of a few zed. Conway fires a flare over the field, and then slams the door shut. The good news is the flare lands on the opposite side of the field, and most of the horde clumps around it. The bad news is that the door slam attracted a few stragglers over to you. The group immediately jumps up and readies their weapons.
  
  "I'm gonna open the door and let a few in," Matthias says, "Then we kill 'em. Let a few in, kill 'em, let, kill, repeat until they're gone. Ready?" The first few step forward, and are eliminated quickly. Nobody's using guns because the noise would damage hearing, so there's just as much of a threat posed by the others' knives as the zombies do.
  
  Once the dead are clear, you're open to grab the fuel. You waste no time getting over to the tanks, where the area is now empty of the dead.
  
  "Lucky us," Conway remarks as your team fills gas canisters up. You lug them back over to the helicopter, and begin to fill up the tank. Ozzy goes in to watch the fuel gauge, while Matthias keeps watch of the horde. Three painful and long trips later, the tank is full.
  
  "Come on," Matthias says, "They're getting restless. Load up!" Everyone piles into the helicopter, and Ozzy starts the blades. The horde, noticing the new potential for food, turns over to you. By the time they get anywhere near you, you're up again.
  
  "Take that, growlers!" Ozzy shouts over the engine.
  
  > Airborne (Again)
  Once in the air, Roger addresses Conway.
  
  "That little stunt, ripping open the helicopter door like that? Not gonna fly with me," Roger says. Conway stands up.
  
  "Excuse me, but did anybody get so much as a scratch on them? My little 'stunt' got us to safety," Conway retorts.
  
  "You're lucky that's the way things went. Next time, it might turn out different."
  
  "Yeah,, if someone who didn't know what they were doing tried it! I've had several years of experience on the battlefield."
  
  Both soldiers rise and stare each other coldly in the eyes.
  
  "Guys? Right when we're flying over hordes of man-eating monsters is not the best time to get physical," Ozzy warns from the front.
  
  "Sit down, and obey my word," Roger hisses. Conway begrudgingly takes a seat, and holds a stare with Roger. Matthias makes eye contact with you, and you see a slight twinge of fear in his eyes. He's been with Roger for a while, so if he's worried, you're worried. Roger finally sits down next to you, as far away from Conway as he can get.
  
  "We won't make it to Washington," Ozzy suddenly says. This gets the attention of everyone immediately. "We don't have the fuel. We'll get close, but we don't have enough, even with the extra fuel."
  
  Everyone looks around at each other.
  
  "So we need to find another reserve," Roger says. Matthias pulls out a pocket map, and a pen. "Where will we run out of fuel?"
  
  "I think about here," Roger says, pointing to a spot on the map. It's in Oregon, not far from the border. "There aren't any fuel reserves there, far as I know," Roger continues.
  
  "Any chance we could get the fuel from cars?" you offer.
  
  Roger shakes his head. "This thing won't take car fuel, of any kind," he says. "Unless somebody just happens to have filled their tank with jet fuel."
  
  "We'll figure something out," Matthias says. The subject is dropped. You just don't want to think about what will happen if you can't find any fuel.
  
  > Continue
  For the next few hours, the ride is uneventful Everyone is minding their own business, and the cabin is silent, except for the occasional noise from Ozzy, at the controls.
  
  Before you know it, you're drifting off, and then it's a new day. You look out the window. The terrain has changed. You're no longer above a city of bodies, but empty roads, with only a few zombies lurking around. You're getting closer to Oregon, which means closer to the fuel issue. You don't want to think about when that time comes. Luckily, Roger takes your mind off it.
  
  "Breakfast time," he says, fishing around for a backpack. The team searches out cans to make a meal out of, and that's when it becomes apparent that you're very low on food. Three cans left to split between five people, for another two days, and that's assuming the fuel thing goes smoothly, which you can guess it won't.
  
  "We're gonna have to touch ground again," says Matthias. Nobody wants to admit it, but yes, you'll have to be at the same level as the dead once more. "Lower us down," Matthias says to Ozzy. "We need to run some errands."
  
  Food is definitely easier to come across than helicopter fuel, but you're still worried. There's been plenty of time for every store and market to be emptied of all its goods. When the helicopter sets down and the engine dies down, you scan for a sign of food. The only promise is a road sign telling you fast food places nearby, and there isn't much opportunity there.
  
  "Bingo," Conway suddenly says. He's spotted a farmhouse through the trees. "That's where we'll find what we're looking for." The group slowly goes to follow, but Roger stops.
  
  "Wait. We need someone to stand at the helicopter and guard it," he says.
  
  "I can do it," says Matthias. "Unless, anyone else would rather take the spot."
  
  > volunteer to watch the helicopter while the others leave
  "I'll do it," you say. Matthias nods. The other soldiers go over a plan for the farmhouse, while you take a defensive position behind the helicopter door. You figure that it's extremely unlikely you'll see anybody, you still want to remain vigilant. You sit up straight and try your hardest to stay awake.
  
  The others have been gone for a worryingly long amount of time, and you decide to go check on them. You get out of your seat, and go look at the farmhouse. From where you are, you can't see any fighting or danger, and you haven't heard any gunshots. You assume they're just doing a thorough search, and cross your fingers for some fresh bread.
  
  As you turn to get back in the helicopter, you are met with a bow and arrow pointed at your face. Its user is a man with long blonde hair that covers his eyes.
  
  "Water," he says, in a parched voice. "Give it to me." Shaking, you slowly nod. You climb into the helicopter, and fumble around for the pack with the bottled water in it. You find the pack, but then you remember your gun.
  
  > shoot him
  As quick as you can, you turn to shoot the attacker. Your bullet goes over his shoulder. He shouts, and releases an arrow into your chest. You cry out, and the man yanks the water pack from your hands.
  
  "See ya," he says, and slams the helicopter door shut. He gives a little wave before leaving.
  
  You struggle to get the arrow free from your skin. That arrow had a lot of power behind it, and you end up staining the seats of the helicopter with your blood, and doing all kinds of irreversible damage to your chest. When the soldiers come back, you're barely alive. Your final moments are of being shaken back and forth by Conway, who is trying to get you to sit up.