Hope is powerful,
One can survive against the world,
With only one tool.
Hope.
-by Anonymous 

The night...
Maybe because of my carelessness... Or our carelessness, because both of us, no.
Three of us forgot to bring a tent to spend our night. How can important things slip our minds like that?
The consequences are just as fun as it sounds. Under the half-covered moonlight, stars spread as vast as they can be, twinkling in the dark sky. After a fight about which place is better to be our bed, they finally agreed to sleep near the river bank, is it a good idea? The idea was just a bad joke at first until they both agreed then that would be a solution rather than just a joke. Every minute, my feet are free-washed with icy cold water, and that makes me sleepless, that was not the case with these two. Just a good best friend these two can be, they bicker until one of them finally gives in to sleep. 
The cold night breeze bit every exposed skin. With my teeth chattering, especially with cold water wash my feet. Deciding to take a stroll, I picked up the guns and went to the nearest tree, hard to admit, but I fulfill the nickname too well. I have no proof of how I climb fort feet high, but I believe I make myself practice to go that far. However, maybe I don't need practice at all because, in a day, I can climb farther than forty feet. What am I?  Surely a human, am I?
Under the shady tall tree, there are two guards as serious as they can be, and just solid at that, I almost mistaken them to be one of the trees. I pat one of them on the shoulder. 
"Do you have any extra binoculars?."
I tried to make my voice as low as possible. Right now, they just stand there like statues, maybe etiquette code or something but I was afraid that I cross any invisible line when I should be the one who thanked their efforts. 
He stared at me with dead eyes, taking his sweet time and making me nervous. Then, in a quick shift, he already had his head turned to the other side, repeating my question to his buddy. He shook his head to his friend before taking a long stare at every inch of the ground, mumbling something under his breath. The guy turned to me and shook his head too. Thanking them, I went to other posts, but disappointedly, none of them had any extra. 
I went for the last post which gave me the same answer, before I took another step, I noticed their posture went more rigid, and they suddenly saluted calling a sharp 'captain!' which made me look behind, for sure it wasn't for me. 
Indeed, Blythe stood, sober, behind me, his hands already on his hip, staring deeply into my soul as his eyes wrinkled and made his eyes shrank twice the normal size. 
"Why are you not sleeping?."
He questioned with his interrogation tone, as if accusing something. 
"You drool around old man."
I joked. 
He looks amused before he stiffly laughs, probably already aware of his loud, ear-pitched laugh. He got an extra mark for trying, yet, his laugh still can be caught. He even folded himself to the ground, trying so hard...
I sighed.
"Kid..."
He laughed again.
"Stop it, old man. I am going to sleep on the tree tonight. Don't bother following me, because I would be up around where you can't reach."
I chortle, almost sounds like a faint ghost laugh. But, it did make everyone go rigid which concerning enough. 
Blythe got up and handed me a binocular with a smug look.
"Then, go fetch some banana, if there's some."
"Thanks, old man."
He patted me before leaving for his 'bed'. 
________________...
Choosing a tree was not hard. A sturdy and big enough to hold my weight, however tall enough to give me the view I pursued. 
The light scattered in each tent, some already shut off their candles while others preferred to be in the light, may it be wanting to be alert or scared for the night. 
The guard stood on their situated post. With guns, and extra guns loaded in their ammunition pouches, if I wasn't wrong, each of them has at least five pouches, with two pouches for each gun, and an extra pouch for their most used gun bullet. Each pouches can hold at least five dozen each, and that may be said, each guard can take down at least five hundred small fries, at least, considering there are at least twenty of them as a precaution. I may say, we might survive if there's a horde coming. 
However, as a sniper, may I call myself for that title as it seems normal and easy on me as if I used to hold that position, monkey boy is an advantage whenever I choose to be in a high place every time our hunting night, just how I exactly do right now.
From the trained guard's perspective, only one hundred meters was visible, and any movement would attract them instantly, I refused to agree if this capability is restricted, but here I was, trying to see farther than their one hundred meters eyesight, a high stride tree far from their sixty meters was chosen as the best spot even after they argued to let me go, not before one of them, who I have take missions with, reassured them, allowing me to be in this tree apparently.
At night, one may be seen as an advantage to the undead since their eyes work like predators at night, and that's also the reason they were actively attacking at night. 
A few weeks ago, I found out my chemistry with one of the sniper guns, since then I never restricted myself to one type, I explored as much as I was given the chance to. And apparently, two snipers suit my style, and even a grenade launcher at that. 
However, I still make myself uncomfortable with the truth that two snipers and a grenade launcher have met my compatibility. I refused to believe those three were enough, and so then, I pursued a lot of practice with Blythe which sometimes goes the other way around, some information occurred in my lost memories brain, and some information was very well needed, as what Blythe has said once, or maybe twice already. And I was glad. 
Far from one o'clock my position, there's a small horde, not less than thirty of them, wobbling their way to the camp. Perhaps some particular smell attracts them here, not much I know which. Placing a silencing on my gun, I chose to relax my posture before taking them down one by one. A small commotion caused a bit of chaos among them but not as far concerning to making the guards realize their presence there. 
Taking a binocular, pressing the button for night function before rotating the button to zoom, I take it there's another horde at eleven o'clock, adjusting my guns waiting for them to be in my gun's sight, they may be far from our location, precisely, they were in fact on the road, however heading to this way is what I need to be aware of. 
Just as I predicted, they take turns to the right, right to this way. This horde has a crawler with them, the same type that attacked us the other week. A mutated zombie that turns at least six and a half inches, crawling using its four limbs, and the front limb is a bit larger and taller than the back limb, which helps them make a good far leaping and with its claw just a sharper as they might be, no record exactly point how sharp was is though but it does make sense if it's pierce and rip human into a shredded limb and tissues.
As I learned before, it's head take the most fatality. As the thought crossed my head, they lined with my gun's sight, without wasting any time, I took the big crawler first, which needed at least five or six bullets on its head to make it fall. The small one groaned while tumbling to see the culprit. Each of them was wiped thoroughly.
The whole night was that, me and the far away zombies, avoiding them taking any step further into the camp and even far from guards' eyesight, so they may make the night unscarred.
____________...
The second day came as quickly as it heard.
Right when the sun shines, Dylan wakes up with uneasiness. He seemed to be more quiet and clingy, he refused to let me go farther from his side. He assigned me everything just to be in his sight. 
Right after he woke up, he made commotion when I wasn't on his side, saying he had a nightmare where he would lose either me or Sarah, rambling about how he couldn't choose when both of us are important to him, which made me soften and agree to be on his side. However, the second day is all about hunting. Across from the lake is said to be a lot of animals find a place to be. After being cornered by the zombies, the animals are now easily spotted in a forest or lake like this. 
As sad as needed, we had to go across the abandoned piece of land in the middle of the lake, which some said to be cursed or as the rumors had it, no one alive if they passed the land, only brave one survived. Whatever that is. 
Just like they said, as we stood on the land, lining up on the edge of it, we saw a lot of animals across the land. As if coexist to exist in this apocalypse. Yes, I might say, zombies scattered everywhere, infected animals and people, mutated into something terrifying that lost all human features entirely, but there, animals coexist to exist in a dream, hoping humans also coexist despite their desire just to be alive like them.
Taking only a blade and swimming towards them, the villagers took with them rope and as much lending the abandoned boats here. Some who believe in curses have done their best to prevent them from taking anything from this house, and they replied with the word 'lend not take' which I don't know who is right or wrong at the moment. 
But I was here in the abandoned house since Dylan told me so. More like threatened me to stay which Blythe tried to convince me that Dylan lost his head ever since he woke up. 
After an hour or so, I saw they tied the dead animals on the rope and went swimming back to the abandoned house, crossing the bridge and drying them with fire. Dylan was the last person to come swimming, he made sure no one was left behind. 
I should be proud of him, but he has uneasiness on his face, sipping off his skin like a dark smoke around him making others hesitate to argue. The brewing on his face makes me feel off. His body was rigid, his face as serious, the first time I saw him like this he was just terrifying as they once told me. 
Even when he took his shirt off, and let it dry under the sun, he skinned the animals he caught mercilessly, saying we should make our way home faster. And lunch was as hasty as it can be. Almost choking on the meat though.
Packing back, we had an entire pile of fish and skinned buffalo meat to bring home. 
Everyone was in a bit of chaos, as Dylan rushed them to be quicker. As the last truck's door closed, Dylan hopped in and started the engine, rearing his way to the village. 
What took ten minutes with what I already thought was the fastest to reach the lake, We made it back in five though which was insane I almost puked out of my sudden carsick. 
However, the sight makes every bile vanish. 
The high posts activating red light, with loud sirens were played. The thick smoke reaches the highest at best. Why haven't we noticed that, we should notice that!
Dylan halted the car, screaming his lungs off.
"To all the trucks with complete family go for the redwood outpost, now! I three guard cars follow them to safety!."
My head was alerted by something dangerous as the guard who had their family in there rushed out of the car, and those who were alone chose to escort those families to safety. 
Dylan turned to me with the most serious look he had since the morning.
"Go out, and go with them, Walter!."
He demanded. 
But, I refused. I owed this residence, it would be cowardly for me not to give them back what they have served me a good life. And if it means putting my life at risk. Whatever the light is for, whatever the reason the smoke is. 
I wouldn't run away!
Dylan looks at me, trying to shove me out and onto one of the trucks. He dragged me away as I put my heel deeper onto the ground, refusing him.
"Don't be stupid Walter. "
He screamed as he saw his effort go futile. 
"Do you even know what that means? That means there's danger and every survivor needs to be evacuated immediately. And guards will take their position to do whatever to protect any survivors left behind. All the posts in red mean there are still survivors inside and every guard is still fighting! Whatever is in there is dangerous. Don't be stupid this once and leave!."
He tried to drag me again by my sleeves. I pushed his hand as strong as I could. He turned around with the deadliest stare and grabbed my jacket harshly.
"Call me stupid but I owe my life to you. If you going inside then I am doing so too. Don't refuse my help, if I am in safety, but you and Sarah aren't, I refuse!."
Blythe came from the truck, for a second I thought he would drag me too. But, he patted the truck and instructed the last truck to leave. 
"I would protect this kid, Dylan. I would put my life on it."
Blythe came as he released Dylan's hand on my jacket. 
Dylan turned around to the other two trucks filled with guards which were already equipped with their guns. 
"Don't leave any intruders in. And make sure everyone makes it alive!."
With everyone ready, we drove our truck nearing the wall. A shout was heard before a manmade stairs made of rope flew down to the ground. 
Taking the clue, Dylan hopped down and climbed the stairs followed by me and everyone else. 
The first sight was the injured guards and villagers, the rotten smell mixing with metallic blood in the air, as the post was almost covered in dried blood.