WHACK! Scott’s hammer collided with the small metal spike. WHACK! And it was finished; Scott had just wrapped up building his permanent shelter. It wasn’t very big, probably fifteen feet by fifteen feet by ten or so. It was just big enough for Scott and a few supplies. It was a good thing that Scott was a shorter guy because if he were any bigger, he would probably have to change the dimensions of his shelter, which would require gathering more wood.

Scott loved to climb trees, even though he was vertically challenged, the test was just something else he could conquer. He viewed climbing a tree like he did taming a wild Bronco. It may be arduous and taxing, but he did hard things to be different. To stand out amongst all the rest of the naysayers, who couldn’t do it when they tried, so they would tell someone, who’s a little different than they are, that he can’t either. But Scott wasn’t around anyone because of the virus. Everyone had either died, joined a small colony of people, or chose to rough it by him or her self.

He had decided to go for a little hike since he had finished his shelter. “I need to find some food and water anyways.” He said trying to justify his decision, as if someone was disputing it.

He heard a noise at his feet but he decided to pay no mind to it and just kept walking. He heard it again but this time his foot was right next to it.

“Oh shoot!” Scott yelled as he stepped back very slowly and quietly, so as not to disturb the snake.

It was a six-foot rattler and it was mad. By the looks of the large-wide head, the two dark stripes on either side of it’s face like Zorro’s mask, and it’s black scales on it’s back that made up a diamond shape when outlined by lighter white scales; it was most definitely a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

He knew that he shouldn’t make any quick or sudden movements but he wasn’t exactly sure of how he would get out of this predicament. He’s an Eagle Scout, part of the Boy Scouts of America, so he tried to think back to his many years of scouting experience but he couldn’t think of anything. He noticed there was a tree just behind the rattler, and a lateral branch that hung just behind the snake.

“If I can just get to that branch, I can swing my way over the snake and I’ll be in
the home stretch.”

It was true all he had to do was cowboy up and do it. Scott bent his knees, hopped up, and before he knew it he was over the deadly rattler.

“Ahhh!”

Scott heard a piercingly loud scream come from over his left shoulder. He heard a lot of rustling and a man’s voice. The man’s voice was raspy, like he had mucus in his throat.

“I know you’re alive sweetie! We don’t have to continue trying to kill each other. Well, I’m actually the one who’s going to be killing you before you can even try to kill me but, I just wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt!”

Scott squinted out of confusion, he was trying to decide if he should run towards the screaming or continue on his way.

“Sugar cakes! I just want to give you some lovin’. Come out come out where ever you are!” Said the man with the raspy voice.

That’s when Scott decided to run towards the screaming. He had heard that raspy voice before and he knew it couldn’t be a good thing if he was hearing it again. Scott ran up behind the man and with the rope that Scott carried over his left shoulder and across his torso, he choked out the man. In order to save the woman and reduce sound incase there were more.

“Ah!” Screamed the woman.

She quickly jumped back but tripped as she landed. The man reached out his hand to offer it as help for her.

“Who the hell are you!” Her face was covered in sheer terror as she asked it.

“Ha-ha. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m Scott though. Don’t worry there’s no need to be afraid of me, I’m on your side, well, if you’re not on their side.”

“Who was that person? Why was he trying to kill me?”

“Well, that person is actually everyone besides us and a few others somewhere out there, and I don’t think he really wanted to kill you.”

“He actually said the words, he’s trying to kill me! And what exactly do you mean everyone?”

“Look the truth is he was going to shoot you with an arrow that would inject a type of poison into you that would knock you out. He would then grab the arrowhead out of the arrow, and put it into a Ziploc bag to take back to his camp and have it tested. He thought that maybe your blood is a vaccination. Judging by the way he was speaking too, he was also going to have his way with you or some horrendous thing like that.”
Julie’s eyes widened as she stared blankly into Scott’s eyes.

“I know, it’s some crazy stuff, it’s virtually anarchy out there.”

“That’s more than crazy, that’s psychotic. He was like some sort of serial killer/ rapist!”

“I know, I know but you’re safe now. I had just started collecting material for my camp before I heard you scream. My camp is about a mile away, if you could help me that would be amazing.”

“No, no, I can’t help you. I’ve got to find my family I need you to help me.”

“Ok, done. I’ll help you. Let me grab the rest of my clothes back at my camp and I’ll find you some clothes as well.”

“Ok, that’s amazing. Thank you. Can you hurry though I’m freezing?”

“All right, I’ll be right back.”

Scott ran back to his camp, grabbed his dirt-covered satchel and filled it up with a rope, a
9mm, a knife, and a few items of clothing for Julie.

“Thank you so much for these Scott.”

“You’re welcome. Get changed and we’ll go.”

Julie was still a little unsure about what in the world was going on.

“Scott, you will more than likely laugh at me but what happened? Like what was that guy hoping that my blood was a vaccination from?”

“You really don’t know? There’s a virus that broke out and spread like wild fire, the news just started broadcasting about it a few days ago though. If you have more questions you can ask me on the go but, we need to get moving.”

Julie pulled on her last item of clothing, grabbed a rock that looked like a large arrowhead, and agreed.

“The next town over is just a few miles East, so we should make it by evening.”

The two left with haste. On their journey, they had encountered a massive, territorial buck; they could kill it but, that would take a lot of extra energy, so, they had decided to go around the buck so that they wouldn’t tire from fighting it. They had gotten passed the buck unharmed and very rapidly. They hiked for about two more hours until they came to a small town.

“Hello! Is anyone here? My friend and I come to you in peace! We don’t want to hurt anyone!”

The two of them started walking down the main drag of the town, where they ran into what looked like the city counsel building.

“Wow, this is an opportunity we’ll probably never get again.”

“How can you selfishly think about that? I mean we need to find other people so that we can hopefully radio out for help.”

Scott grabbed Julie’s waste.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I saw a small gas station with a convenience store over there (he pointed to the left) we’ll check that thing out.”

The two of them walked hand in hand over to the gas station, where they crouched like a tiger, as they got closer. They could see rustling inside, and people conversing.

Kish!

“Oh shit.” Scott whispered because he accidently knocked over some trashcans outside of the building.

“Who the hell is out there!” a man yelled as he stuck a sawed off double barrel shotgun out the window.

“Hey Doc, over here!” Yelled another man with a high-pitched voice.

“Who the hell are you two!” The Doc yelled as he shoved the gun in Scott’s face.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up we’re not trying to ambush you and we don’t have the virus!”

The Doc backed off, removing his gun from Scott’s face. “Oh in that case, welcome. I’m glad that there’s still good people out there.”

Scott couldn’t help but breath heavily from holding his breath. “All we want to do is use your phone to call her family.” He pointed to Julie.

“Well, I would let you, but the phone lines are down all across the city.”

“I’m sorry Julie.” Scott said in melancholy voice.