The began like this:<br/>We were young, dumb, and in love. And the world was burning around us.<br/>It had happened after we had graduated- a new strain of mutagenic virus, a kind of adaptable disease- it made the host into what someone (or anyone for that matter) would consider a "zombie". Your nervous system shuts down, all primary organs except the brain were disabled. The host had no need for food water and even air. The only function the now disease-riddled brain had was to spread the infection, and consume as much living flesh as possible. Since the body was really just a walking corpse, the fastest it could move was a slow shuffle. The only way to destroy this walking disease factory was to remove the head or destroy the brain. Mutilation and extreme violence ensued as soon as people heard that the infected had passed the barriers protecting them. They had no idea how to fight the monsters. It was merely spread by word of mouth that you need to aim for the head. As soon as that was found out, the tides turned- survivors were banding together and standing against the infected.<br/>However, the damage was already done. What was left of the United States was now a wasteland, no thanks to our friends the Russians, who decided a nuclear strike was the best way to destroy an infection. The East Coast was now next to nothing, and the rest of the nation was suffering from a nuclear winter. The sun hadn't shined in months, possibly longer. But we didn't know- time was no longer important- only life.<br/>I awoke in my two person tent, hearing the fire still crackling outside. I sighed in relief, and Sampson, our dog, took his cue to groan and perks his ears up, expecting to be let out. I smiled at him, and unzipped the flap just enough to let him out for his morning bathroom break.<br/>I sat back down and looked over at her, still sleeping soundly. She looked so peaceful, and I hated to wake her up- but it was morning, and we had to be packing camp soon. I leaned over, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered a good morning to her.<br/>After I crawled from the tent, i stood and stretched, scratching my shaggy brown hair, and pulled my dirty, ragged cargo pants on as Sampson padded over, wagging his tail happily. In his mouth was breakfast- two squirrels and a small rabbit. "Good boy, Sampson!" his praise was accepted joyfully, and he wagged his tail harder, making his butt wiggle. i laughed and pulled the animals from his mouth, and began to clean the animals for breakfast.<br/>As I had finished the first squirrel and started on the second, I heard a rustling in the trees, and Sampson stood at attention, pointing towards a thick clump behind the tent.<br/>Picking up my Ruger 10/.22, I peered down the low-powered scope at a group of rustling branches. Something was in there, all right. But what?<br/>I loaded a round in the chamber, and as the bolt clicked forward, the rustling paused, as if whatever it was had stopped to listen.<br/>I could make out a figure, and I knew it resembled a human- so, I clicked the safety off, and pulled the trigger, letting a round go with an ear-splitting crack.<br/>Shoot first, ask questions later, right?