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As Freddy looked over a landscape bathed in black, he thought to himself how this was one of the few good things about the end of his life.

He didn't have to watch the others get eaten.

Night had long fallen, the sun had fell to long ago. Freddy looked down at the town below, where the dead all reached up at him with decayed hands, biting the air between them with rotten teeth. He thought about falling to the ground with the sun. Just to end his life, right there. He didn't really stand a chance anymore... Had he really lost all hope so easily? Was Freddy supposed to give up just like that?

The fox stared up into the sky, counting the stars. No... There was still someone out there, someone who had left the town. Someone he had to find. Whether Freddy wanted to kill or embrace Sean, he wasn't sure. Part of him wanted to drive his axe into his skull, and the other wanted to be reunited with his best friend.Best friend?, Freddy thought, Is that idiot really my best friend now? He had to realize that it was true. After all, they could very well be the last people on Earth._ _

_ All right... Time to get the hell out of here._ Freddy stood up, axe across his back. He knew there was an old fire escape on the other side but... It was risky, for sure. He walked around the door where the dead were still trying to claw their way in, and went behind it. He looked down the side of the building, and there it was. A mass of rusting metal that creaked from the smallest wind blow, begging to release its grip on the old building. Freddy stared past his only route to freedom, and below were more undead... Though, he may be able to handle them. There weren't that many.

The fox took a deep breath in and began making his descent. Each and every step he made caused the fire escape to screech in agony. Freddy's entire body was tense, carefully planning each step as he descended floors. He managed to make it to the 3rd floor before he heard the breaking of metal. He stopped dead in his tracks... He only heard the one crack, but the platforms were slightly swaying. Everything creaked, but he had no choice. He took another step.

The tiny amount of weight he pressed down on the fire escape caused the bottom three floors to tumble to the ground, with him still atop it. All he felt was a rushing wind, then a crash, then there was nothing

*

The world poured into his eyes as Freddy managed to force them open. He felt the dirt below him, but there were no cries or moans... Just the wind, and the sound of his own breathing... But a new sound joined the others.

"You're awake...", it groaned. Freddy turned to see who had spoken the words. As his eyes unblurred and he squinted at the source, he realized it was the very bird who called him from his room earlier today.

". . . You."

"Me." The bird was leaned up against a rock, breathing heavily. Freddy managed to sit up, then took the chance to look around.

"Where... Are we?"

"Away from the town. That's all I care about..."

Freddy looked back at the bird. "You saved me." "

It... Wasn't anything. Just hoping God will forgive my sins if I do one last act of kindness..."

"Wait... What do you--". That's when he spotted it. The blood. So much blood, leaking out from underneath the bird's shirt.

"No... You...".

"Yes, me!" The bird shouted. "They... They got me, God damn it..." The bird pulled his knee's towards him and wrapped his arms around them, rocking slightly. "You--You're the only one left. The only survivor..."

". . . No. Sean is still out there. He left before the attack, he came to talk to me about it... I didn't think he'd actually do it though..."

". . . Well, he was always the smartest out of us. . . You better go find him. For all we know, you two are going to be the last people on Earth."

"Right..." The fox pushed himself up, standing on shaky legs. He noticed his axe was at the ground near him, so he bent back down and picked it up, grasping he metal firmly in his hand. Before he moved to leave the dying man, he asked one last question. "Your name... I don't know it."

"Yah... It's--Adam. It's Adam."

Freddy nodded. "Goodbye, Adam. We'll meet again one day... I know it." Unless Freddy was going to hell. After all, the bird sure wouldn't be. He began to walk away from the dying creature, wanting to get away before he... turned.

"Wait!", the bird called out, reaching his hand towards Freddy. Freddy turned back to the soon to be corpse. "I... Need you to..."

Freddy knew. He had to play the tough role, one last time. He made the slightest of nods, moving towards the bird.

Don't feel. He lifted the axe.

Don't panic. The bird closed his eyes.

Don't run. Freddy watched as a smile touched the anthro's lips.

Don't show your fear. He hefted the axe.

Don't cry. He swung.

*

Sean finally made it, but he soon realized the town he had spotted a while back was deserted long ago. He sighed heavily. He had hoped to find shelter and food, and maybe a town that could hold out for a few more days... No, for surely this was the last. The last haven.

Sean's stomach grumbled, and he clenched it with a grimace. He had to find food or he'd starve... He still had a bit of water, but that wouldn't be bad to find either. He set out to check the buildings, cautious with each step he took. He didn't want to alert any of the dead that could be lurking about.

The first few houses he checked didn't have a single useful item, but on his sixth attempt he managed to find a pantry with a few leftover food items, and on the floor a water bottle still 1/3rd full. He ate an apple with questionable black spots as his breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day, then put everything else into his rucksack.

As he was stuffing everything into the bag, his ears perked. The door creaked open. A moment's hesitation later, Sean had his battery launcher pointed at the intruder, and just as he almost pulled the trigger, he heard the corpse yelp... No, shriek, like a little girl... Oh, God... Standing in the doorway was a frightened young girl, no older than seven. A... Human girl. Sean hadn't seen one in years, because they were the first to be eaten (Sean had assumed the corpses preferred human flesh). Everything about her looked torn, or raggety, or dirty, from her long blonde hair, to her faded dress of flowers. Sean noticed she wasn't wearing shoes. Slowly, Sean lowered his launcher. The two stared at eachother, the girl with fear in her eyes, the raccoon with shock in his. Minutes passed that felt like hours. Finnally, Sean spoke. "What... What's your name?" The girl didn't speak at first, and Sean wasn't sure if she ever would, until, "Ash.. It's Ash."

"Okay Ash... I'm Sean", Sean began, "Now tell me, what is someone as young as you doing out her alone?"

"I don't know... I--I can't..." The girl stopped speaking and stared at the floor.

"It's okay... Do you want to leave or--?"

"No! I--You're the only living person I've seen... In... Days."

"Days? Jesus, you've survived out here alone?" "I don't know how I even got here, I--I can't remember much, I just--I just remember a car... Driving away, down a dirt road..."

Sean froze. No... It couldn't be. She was traumatized that's all... But... Sean did hear something in the night that sounded like a motor... But it couldn't have been? Could it? There was no way anyone was able to fuel and fix a car these days... No... But... What if?

"A car?", Sean questioned.

"Yes, a... Truck, I think... ", she answered. Sean stared down at the girl, calculating what to do. On one hand, bringing a human girl with him could attract more of the undead... But on the other hand, the car could have the Ash's parents inside, and bringing them their daughter could make them grateful... He would really like to be with a group who had a car.

"... What road?", he asked. The girl didn't move at first, either being too scared or trying to remember where it went. She looked the raccoon up and down, then turned and walked out the door. Sean followed her outside, and she led him to the main dirt road he came on. He pointed in the direction of his old town.

"It went that way, I think". It had to be true... There was no other way. He heard a motor on that very road. There had to be a car.

Sean turned towards the girl. "I'm going to find the car."

The girl looked up at him, emotions blending into her face. "You are?"

"Yah... Car's haven't been around in forever. I need to see where these people got it... It could be your parents inside."

Ash's stare found the ground as she got lost in thought. She didn't know this person, who knows what he could do... But... She had to see if the truck has answers. Otherwise she'd be stuck out here, and almost certainly die. Ash slightly nodded and stepped towards Sean. "I want--Can I come with you?"

Sean stared at the girl, shocked she asked the question he was going to himself. "Yes". And that was all he said. Their eyes met and made an agreement, then theyset out along the broken road once again.